A man died after falling off a cliff in Kentucky while chasing his dog, authorities said.
The incident happened Thursday at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
The McCreary County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook that a family hiking the Yahoo Falls trailhead discovered a deceased individual under the waterfall.
Deputies responded to the scene and pulled the man, who was later identified as 23-year-old Isaac Lee Turpin, from the water.
"It appears that Mr. Turpin and his dog was hiking the Yahoo Falls trail head when his dog had gotten loose from him and he had tried to catch the dog and slipped and fell over the Yahoo Falls," McCreary County Sheriff David Sampson reported.
The sheriff added that an autopsy would be performed as part of the investigation, but no signs of foul play were mentioned.
Big South Fork consists of 125,000 acres of land in Kentucky and Tennessee. It's a popular site for all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, hunting and rafting.
The federal government tracks annual fatalities at national parks. In fiscal year 2023, which ended in July, there were nearly 100 deaths reported. This was the first death reported at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area since 2022. That person also reportedly died from an unintentional fall.
Saguaro National Park gets new superintendent to protect iconic cacti
The park faces a list of challenges including wildland fires, and the effects of climate change where extreme heat could kill the iconic cacti there.
