Hudson Valley Student Dies Falling at Popular Hiking Path

A heavily Instagramed Hudson Valley hiking spot has claimed yet another life.

A dangerous magnet for tourists, the Kaaterskill Falls in Hunter, NY has become the site of several deaths over the past few years. Hikers have been flocking to the Hudson Valley hiking spot after seeing countless photos on Instagram of the beautiful, yet dangerous path. On Saturday a Hudson Valley student lost his life after falling from a popular cliff diving spot off of Route 23A.

According to State police, at 11am on Saturday, August 31 a 911 call was made to report an unresponsive male. The man was reportedly hanging onto a rock at Fawn's Leap when it broke free, sending him falling to his death. Attempts were made to revive the victim, but they were unsuccessful. Police identified the man as a student at the West Point Military Academy, but would not release any more information for 24 hours, as per Department of Defense Policy.

Late Sunday, the New York post reported that the student was Cadet Candidate Benjamin K. Bochtler. The 20-year-old student was a "prior-enlisted combat veteran” from Bellevue, Nebraska.

It's unclear whether Bochtler was trying to jump from the rocks or if he had slipped and fallen at the time of the accident. State Police continue to investigate the incident.

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