Elderly tourist falls to death while hiking New York state park

An elderly Illinois tourist plunged to his death while hiking at a New York state park after he fell from a rock ledge onto stone steps below, according to state authorities.

Married father Jack Wersching, 70, was walking along a waterfall path at the Kaaterskill Wild Forest in the Catskills Friday evening when he fell onto a trailway below, the New York State Police said Tuesday.

Park rangers rushed to the scene and extricated Wersching from the trailhead around 6:45 p.m., the state Department of Environmental Conservation said in a press release.

The rangers then tried to stabilize the Illinois native so first responders could airlift him to a hospital, but he died from his “severe injuries” at the scene, officials said.

Wersching, who lived in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, was remembered as someone who lived “fully, passionately, and on his own terms.”

“He embraced each day with an Epicurean spirit – always chasing adventure, seeking knowledge, and finding joy in the little things,” his daughter said in a heartfelt Facebook post.

“His final days were spent doing what he loved most: exploring, learning, and being in awe of the world.”

A witness who helped Wersching said he heard screams for help and saw the victim lying on the ground with serious injuries.

Shilo Shalom said he tried to help him, and used shirts to slow the bleeding.

Shalom, an Israeli native, initially ran into Wersching, his wife and daughter earlier in the day while he was hiking with his little sister. The two groups even took photos of each other before Wersching’s fall.

“I just tried to save him and I couldn’t,” he said in an interview.

State police said the investigation is ongoing.