A 30-year-old rock climber from Great Barrington, Massachusetts, died Thursday afternoon after falling roughly 40 feet from the cliffs at St. John's Ledges in Kent, Connecticut. Collin Salmon was pronounced dead at New Milford Hospital following the fall at St. John's Ledges, where the Appalachian Trail passes.
Authorities received a report of a fall victim on the Appalachian Trail in Kent that afternoon, according to Boston 25 News. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection later announced Salmon's death, saying the agency extends its condolences to his family and friends.
Salmon was from Great Barrington, Massachusetts, according to Hearst Connecticut Media. His employment and professional qualifications were not specified in the reports cited here.
A Chaotic Rescue on Steep, Rocky Terrain
Emergency dispatch communications indicated Salmon fell into traumatic cardiac arrest and was found unconscious; he was transported to New Milford Hospital.
The rock face at St. John's Ledges consists of friction slabs rising up to 100 feet above the Housatonic River. Widely used for beginner climbing classes and summer camps, the cliff lacks fixed bolt anchors and offers only sparse natural protection for climbers, according to the Ragged Mountain Foundation. The site forms part of the Connecticut section of the Appalachian Trail.
Rescue After Fatal Fall
Thursday's fatal fall prompted a response on the Appalachian Trail.
St. John's Ledges carries a long history as public land. Named after 19th-century landowner Timothy St. John, the ledges were purchased by the Stanley Works Company in 1910 for a dam project before being donated to The Nature Conservancy in 1976 and later incorporated into the National Park Service's Appalachian Trail Corridor, according to the Ragged Mountain Foundation.
Investigation Ongoing Into Cause of the Fall
The state medical examiner is reviewing the cause and manner of Salmon's death, and the incident remains under investigation, Boston 25 News reported. Connecticut DEEP Environmental Conservation Police have statewide conservation-law-enforcement responsibilities and specialized boating accident-reconstruction duties, according to the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. What exactly caused the 40-foot fall has not been determined, and Boston 25 News said updates were expected as the story continued to develop.
