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Fatal fall on Glen Onoko trail under investigation

The Pennsylvania Game Commission warns hikers to stay off the trail that's been closed since 2019.

CARBON COUNTY, Pa. — A woman was killed over the weekend while hiking a trail in Carbon County that's been off-limits for almost three years.

State police are now investigating the incident that happened Sunday morning along the Glen Onoko Falls Trail in Lehigh Gorge State Park near Jim Thorpe.

Troopers told Newswatch 16 the woman was part of a hiking group on the trail that was closed in 2019.

Troopers have not released the names of the 72-year-old woman who was killed, but they say she was part of a hiking group out of Philadelphia that set out on the Glen Onoko Falls Trail Sunday morning.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which controls the area, stresses that the hikers should not have been there in the first place.

In 2019, Newswatch 16 cameras gave us one last look at the waterfalls that give the Glen Onoko Falls trail its name. State officials shut down the trail near Jim Thorpe that spring, citing dangerous hiking conditions.

But Game Warden Mark Kropa says hikers still take the risk.

"Our officers are up there on a regular basis and over the past few years since it's been closed down. We've encountered quite a few people up there. Citations and warnings have been issued to try to keep people out of there," Kropa said.

A look at the hiking message board Alltrails.com shows how common it is. There are dozens of posts from hikers who say they walk right past signs warning of the trail's closure and keep going.

Posts from this past weekend indicate the closed trail was busy.

State police said 22 members of a hiking club from the Philly area were on the falls trail when a member of the group, a 72-year-old woman fell and had to be rescued by volunteer firefighters. The woman died at a hospital from her injuries.

Kropa added that the trail has eroded in the years since its closure. Plus, the area is icy this time of year.

"It's not that we're trying to keep people out of there because it's a beautiful area. There's a lot of other areas up there that are open. We're really concerned about the safety of the people there and the safety of our officers and the first responders who may have to go there to help these people. They're putting their lives on the line; they want to go home to their families just like everyone else," he said.

The Game Commission patrols the area. Kropa said posting an officer there 24/7 isn't an option financially. He asked hikers to consider first responders before taking on the personal risk.

"Many of them are volunteers, volunteer firefighters, volunteer ambulance; they do this on their own time without any pay. They're in there risking their lives because you want to go there. Think about everyone involved before you go in there," Kropa said.

Troopers told Newswatch 16 Sunday's deadly fall is still under investigation. Officials from the Game Commission said it is still considering whether to file a citation against the other people who were out on the falls trail in Carbon County. Each citation could cost up to $300.

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