Traversing the stairs near Old Man’s Cave, 44-year-old Victoria Schafer of Chillicothe was struck by a falling tree branch around 5:30 p.m. yesterday. It’s still unclear if Schafer died at the scene or was taken to a hospital.
Update: 10TV out of Columbus reports that officials are now saying the tree branch was “dislodged” from above before striking Schafer. Anyone in the area at the time who witnessed the incident should reach out to ODNR.
The death is the third reported near Hocking Hills this summer. Park officials have also rescued at least four hikers throughout the season.
Before taking on any kind of hike in Ohio, it’s always best to take a look at safety warnings and precautions on the ODNR website.
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This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2019.