Child Dies From 300-Foot Fall on Icy Upper Hudson Valley Trail
A sixth grade student died after falling at a popular ice climbing spot in the region.
The Greene County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the death of an 11-year-old boy who fell approximately 300 feet down ice-covered ledges off of Platte Clove Road in the Town of Hunter.
The accident happened on Saturday in the Indian Head Wilderness Area of the Catskill State Park near a popular ice climbing location known as the "Dark Side". The boy was climbing with a group that included his father, two other children ages 13 and 15, and three other adults, police say.
As they were walking out on a portion of a trail that was equipped with a hand line, the 11-year-old lost his footing, slipped and fell, according to the Greene County Sheriff's Office. Forest Rangers were able to get down to the scene where the victim was found dead.
The boy was later identified as Mattias Edstrom a 6th-grade student in Westchester County.
"Mattias was a loving, kind and inquisitive young man who added so much to our community. This tragic event has deeply affected so many of us as we share in the unspeakable grief of the Edstrom family," Chappaqua Central School District Superintendent Christine Ackerman said.
Due to darkness on Saturday, forest rangers determined it was too dangerous to attempt to extricate the victim in the darkness. A team of forest rangers proceeded started around 9 a.m. Sunday to recover the body and around 4:30 p.m. Edstrom was removed.
He was taken to Ellis Hospital Morgue for an autopsy. The investigation is continuing.