Hiker plunges to his death while reaching for something he dropped by Ohio waterfall

A hiker lost his balance and plunged 80 feet to his death near a waterfall in Ohio, officials told news outlets.

The man, later identified as 45-year-old Lima resident Willard Gay, was hiking at the Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve on the afternoon of Sunday, May 15, TV station WLIO reported.

Witnesses who were with Gay said he dropped something while standing on an observation deck, overlooking a waterfall, and it landed near the edge of the dropoff, The Lima News reported.

Gay stepped off the deck and wandered off the marked trail to get the item, but tumbled as he reached for it, the outlet reported. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

“One of the most spectacular features” in the region, Conkles Hollow has sandstone cliffs nearly 200 feet tall standing over “the deep, cool gorge, which is only 100 feet wide in places and is considered by some to be the deepest in Ohio,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“ The cliff tops with their magnificent overlooks and the quiet gorge beneath offer visitors an opportunity to explore different habitats, each with its own unique plant and animal communities,” the department said.

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