A 46-year-old Missouri man died after he fell about 20 feet Saturday afternoon in the Indian Creek drainage of the Buffalo National River, according to the National Park Service.
Buffalo National River dispatchers were notified just before 4:50 p.m. of a hiker who fell near the Eye of the Needle, in the Ponca Wilderness area, a news release from the park service states.
Witnesses performed CPR on the hiker, identified as Brad Lee Thomas of Springfield, until rangers and other first responders arrived and took over their efforts, the park service said. Thomas, however, died as a result of his injuries.
According to the release, rangers have responded to “multiple hiking accidents” in the Indian Creek drainage area during the past month. The area, described by the park service as undeveloped backcountry, includes terrain in which “the most experienced hiker” is susceptible to injury, the release states.
Rangers advise hikers to be equipped for self-rescue, since it may take hours for first responders to get to the area.