DANBURY, N.C. — (AP) — A North Carolina man died Sunday after a fall in a popular section of Hanging Rock State Park, state officials said.
The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation says William Michael Smith, 39, of Lawsonville was in a well-traveled area of Hanging Rock on Sunday, but was in an area not designated for climbing and not dressed for climbing, news outlets report.
Officials said Smith fell approximately 50 feet, and was found dead when rescue personnel reached the scene. According to witnesses, Smith had been at the park alone and had spoken with others prior to his fall, according to officials.
In 2017, a 17-year-old died after falling off a cliff in the park, and teenagers were also injured after falls at the park in 2018 and this year, news outlets reported.
Cox Media Group
