A 16-year-old girl died Saturday after falling from a steep ledge at Zoar Valley in western New York.
Sheriff’s deputies and New York State Police troopers arrived at the scene after receiving several 911 calls just before 6 p.m. reporting that a female had fallen off a ledge, according to a press release from the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office.
The teenager, whose name was not released, sustained fatal injuries from the fall, the sheriff’s office said.
Zoar Valley is about 40 miles south of Buffalo. The 3,014-acre Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, composed of public and private land, is known for its “spectacular scenery created by its deep gorge, sheer cliffs, flowing waterfalls, and dense forests,” according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
The department warns visitors to stay on marked trails due to “hazards associated with rocks, steep slopes, cliffs and swift water.”
The area is popular with the public for hiking, hunting, fishing and whitewater rafting, according to the department. Camping is not permitted as the area is closed between sunset and sunrise.
The sheriff’s office said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.