Death in Indian Creek Area [FINAL UPDATE w/VIDEO]

[Greg Stamper]

The Menifee County Coroner reports the victim was 28-year-old, Shaun Wilhoite
from Owen County. He died from blunt force trauma.
He leaves behind a Wife and young child.

UPDATED with VIDEO [Feb 19, 2010]:
http://www.wkyt.com/news/misc/84806022.html
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/84316222.html
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/84351077.html
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Posted: 4:51 PM Feb 19, 2010
Funeral for hiker who died in tragic accident
Family and friends said goodbye to an Owen County man who fell to his death at the Red River Gorge.
Reporter: Cheryl Glassford
Email Address: cheryl.glassford@wkyt.com

"There's so many things I'd like to say, nobody knows what he meant to me," said Connie Wilhoite, whose son fell to his death last weekend at the Red River Gorge.
Family and friends paid their last respects Friday afternoon to 28 year-old Shaun Wilhoite.
The First Christian Church in Owenton was full of people remembering a man of the outdoors. They say Wilhoite loved to fish, hunt, and hike.
Wilhoite was doing what he loved last weekend - hiking in the Gorge near the Indian Creek area with a group of friends.
Authorities say he fell off a 50-foot cliff.
A search and rescue team spent hours trying to reach him, but when they did, Wilhoite was pronounced dead at the scene.
He'll be remembered as a song-writer, musician, and aspiring line-man for Owen Electric.
Wilhoite's co-workers honored him by showing up to the funeral in a long line of utility trucks.
"It's just a way to show the family or appreciation and our loss of Shaun," said Wilhoite's supervisor, Orman Glass.
Wilhoite leaves behind a wife and 4 year-old son. Wilhoite's mother says one day she hopes his son will know the kind of man Wilhoite was.
"He was kind, " she sayd, "I have to hang on to that - that he's with Jesus and he's going to be fine."
Wilhoite will be buried on the family farm where he grew up in Owen County.
http://www.wkyt.com/news/misc/84806022.html
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Man Falls to Death in Red River Gorge
Sunday, 14 February 2010 14:27
A death investigation is underway after a Kentucky man fell to his death Saturday in the Indian Creek area of the Red River Gorge.
The Menifee County Coroner Tells ABC 36, the victim was 28-year-old, Shaun Wilhite.
He died from blunt force trauma.
Emergency officials were called just before 2:30pm about a man who fell 50 feet off a cliff.
Investigators say the man was camping with friends, who tried to unsuccessfully to resusictate him at the scene.
http://www.wtvq.com/news/2237-man-falls ... iver-gorge
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**Note: All indications are this accident took place near the Pebble Beach Trail in Indian Creek.
Visitors will remember the New Indian Creek Bridge at the base of this trail as a reference
point: http://www.redriversaga.com/recon_1.html
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Updated: 10:15 PM Feb 13, 2010
Rescue crews recover body of fallen hiker
Rescue crews spent Saturday trying to recover the body of a man who fell to his death.
Posted: 8:13 PM Feb 13, 2010
Reporter: Cheryl Glassford
Email Address: cheryl.glassford@wkyt.com

Rescue crews spent Saturday afternoon trying to recover the body of a man who fell to his death.
It happened in the Indian Creek Area of the Red River Gorge near the Natural Bridge around 2 p.m.
It took crews about an hour to reach the man, who we're told is from Owen County.
Emergency officials say the hiker made a deadly mistake of climbing without the proper tools.
The search and rescue effort involved responders from Menifee, Powell, and Wolfe Counties.
But by the time they reached the man, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Anytime somebody comes down here and dies it definitely puts a strain on everybody that comes here," said Steve Chapman, who happened to be hiking near the scene.
"I think any area can be considered dangerous down here," said Chapman.
Emergency officials say the hiker who died was not an experienced rock climber, but had climbed up a cliff nearly 50 ft., without climbing gear, when he fell.
"If you're up there start getting cold, and can't feel your fingers, dexterity runs out and you could slide right down," said Chapman, who is experienced in rock climbing.
The man was hiking with several other people when he fell. His name will not be released until his family is notified.
Now with VIDEO:
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/84316222.html
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Man Falls To Death In Red River Gorge
By Katherine J. Shepherd-Producer

Posted: Feb 13, 2010 9:23 PM
Updated: Feb 13, 2010 9:24 PM

A man is dead after falling at the Red River Gorge in Menifee County.
We're told the Kentucky man was hiking with a group Saturday afternoon, near the Pebble Creek Trail, when he fell.
The Menifee County Sheriff's Department tells LEX 18, the man fell nearly 30 feet.
They are not releasing his name at this time.
http://www.lex18.com/news/man-falls-to- ... ver-gorge/
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Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010
Man falls to death in Indian Creek area of Red River Gorge
By John Cheves - jcheves@herald-leader.com

A Kentucky man fell to his death Saturday in the Indian Creek area of the Red River Gorge.

Menifee County Sheriff Rodney Coffey said late Saturday that he is withholding the man's name until his family can be notified. Local rescue agencies were called at 2:29 p.m. to respond to a man who fell about 50 feet off a cliff, Coffey said. The man was camping with friends, who tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him at the scene, Coffey said.

"It just looks like an accident, but our coroner is reviewing it," the sheriff said.
http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/1139264.html
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WKYT-TV Channel 27, Lexington Kentucky reports a man
has fallen in the Indian Creek area to his Death.
He said to be from Owen County. Rescue Crews took an
hour to reach him ... they broke off their efforts approx 6:00pm
Feb. 13th, 2010

John & Sue Robertson where just there
today and reported unexpected numbers of
tents set up along both forks of Indian Creek.
Presumably people braving the cold to camp/possibly rock climb ...

No further details are available yet. As information arrives we will update.

[Greg Stamper]

Posted: 4:51 PM Feb 19, 2010
Funeral for hiker who died in tragic accident
Family and friends said goodbye to an Owen County man who fell to his death at the Red River Gorge.
Reporter: Cheryl Glassford
Email Address: cheryl.glassford@wkyt.com

"There's so many things I'd like to say, nobody knows what he meant to me," said Connie Wilhoite, whose son fell to his death last weekend at the Red River Gorge.
Family and friends paid their last respects Friday afternoon to 28 year-old Shaun Wilhoite.
The First Christian Church in Owenton was full of people remembering a man of the outdoors. They say Wilhoite loved to fish, hunt, and hike.
Wilhoite was doing what he loved last weekend - hiking in the Gorge near the Indian Creek area with a group of friends.
Authorities say he fell off a 50-foot cliff.
A search and rescue team spent hours trying to reach him, but when they did, Wilhoite was pronounced dead at the scene.
He'll be remembered as a song-writer, musician, and aspiring line-man for Owen Electric.
Wilhoite's co-workers honored him by showing up to the funeral in a long line of utility trucks.
"It's just a way to show the family or appreciation and our loss of Shaun," said Wilhoite's supervisor, Orman Glass.
Wilhoite leaves behind a wife and 4 year-old son. Wilhoite's mother says one day she hopes his son will know the kind of man Wilhoite was.
"He was kind, " she sayd, "I have to hang on to that - that he's with Jesus and he's going to be fine."
Wilhoite will be buried on the family farm where he grew up in Owen County.
http://www.wkyt.com/news/misc/84806022.html