17-year-old falls to his death while hiking off-trail with friend, Missouri cops say

A 17-year-old died after he accidentally fell off a cliff in a Missouri park, police say.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, in Klondike Park, about 40 miles west of St. Louis, according to the St. Charles County Police Department.

Officers were dispatched to the park for reports of a fallen hiker, and they found the 17-year-old dead at the scene, police said.

The 17-year-old male, whose identity has not been publicly released as of Wednesday, Aug. 10, was hiking with another teenager in a restricted area, according to police.

As he neared a cliff overlooking the Katy Trail and Missouri River, he lost his footing and fell, police said.

“This was very tragic accident,” the St. Charles County Police Department said in a statement. “Chief Kurt Frisz and the men and women of the St. Charles County Police Department express our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”

Teens previously fell off cliffs at Klondike Park in 2008 and 2016, but both survived, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Klondike Park includes 250 acres of property with “more than 4 miles of natural and paved trails.”

“Observe the posted signage. Stay out of restricted areas. Keep in mind the weather and always let people know where you’re going,” St. Charles County Parks Director Ryan Graham told KSDK. “It’s a tragic accident that we had today and our hearts and prayers go out to the teenager’s family.”