Church group tried to save Missouri teen who fell to his death on Arkansas hiking trip

A Missouri teenager is dead after he slipped and fell 20 feet during an out-of-state hiking trip with his church group, according to the National Park Service.

The 16-year-old boy, who was from Ava, had strayed from the trail at Buffalo National River in Arkansas, and climbed up a hill over the mouth of a cave, where he lost his footing, park officials said in a release.

He suffered “traumatic brain and spinal injuries,” the NPS said.

Despite life-saving efforts from members of his church group and witnesses, the boy was “unresponsive” by the time park rangers and paramedics arrived, and he died.

“The park staff and I extend our deepest condolences to this young man’s family and friends,” Mark Foust, park superintendent, said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved and to the communities effected by such a tragedy.”

Park officials cautioned that the terrain at Buffalo National River “can be rugged and steep,” and that wandering off of established trails “is often dangerous.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Church group tried to save Missouri teen who fell to his death on Arkansas hiking trip."