CAMPTON, Ky. (NEXSTAR) — Officials say a 4-year-old boy who fell off a 70-foot cliff at Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky suffered a few scratches and bruises, but walked away without any severe injuries.
The Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team (WCSART) said the boy and his parents were hiking Friday near Princess Arch when he slipped and fell, hitting “multiple ledges” before landing about 70 feet below.
The father scrambled after the boy. By the time WCSART received a call about the incident, the father already had his son in his arms and was carrying him to the nearest roadway, KY-715.
“Obviously going through your head, kind of goes the worst-case scenario in that,” said Drew Stevens, WCSART public information officer. “Being on a number of missions in that area and generally speaking, they can be pretty rough.”
“Team members rendezvoused with the father and son as he reached highway 715,” WCSART said in a news release. “Incredibly, while the child was certainly scraped up and bruised, he appeared to be otherwise okay.”
Officials said the boy had plenty to talk about despite the close call.
“He was very talkative, and very interested in super heroes,” according to the release. “The only super hero present was him.”
Officials said the child suffered only scrapes and bruises. The sandstone arches and towering cliffs southeast of Lexington attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.