BARABOO, Wis.— A man in his early 20s died Tuesday afternoon after falling near the Devil’s Doorway rock formation at Devil’s Lake State Park.
Baraboo Fire and EMS responded to the park around 2:15 p.m. after receiving reports that someone had fallen from the popular rock formation.
Assistant Fire Chief Mark Willer told WTMJ that when crews arrived, they were unable to immediately locate the victim.
“So when we arrived on scene, there was no immediate visibility of the person,” Willer said. “We were going based on secondhand reports that they had fallen actually off the formation itself. We did find out, essentially 15 minutes after we arrived on scene, eyewitness report of where they actually fell. Turned out to be off the formation.”
Willer said first responders launched a coordinated search, deploying rope rescue team members form the top of the bluff while another team accessed the area below the rock formation using an unofficial access route.
The search involved specialized rope rescue techniques because of the steep terrain beneath Devil’s Doorway. Rescue crews later located the victim below the formation.
“It’s not a marked trail or anything, but it allows us to get down beneath the formation itself, which extends over 100ft,” he said. ”The team that went down and around, they started coming back up and that’s when they found the person who was deceased.”
Crews remained on scene until about 5:30 p.m. The response also required assistance from mutual aid departments while Baraboo Fire and EMS personnel remained committed to the incident.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation into what caused the fall.
Willer said the exact circumstances remain under investigation but urged visitors to stay on designated trails while exploring the park.
“We just want people to know that, you know, don’t venture off the trails. It’s very risky, so we recommend they don’t do it. You can enjoy the park without leaving the trails, putting yourself at risk.”
Authorities have not released the victim’s identity to additional information about the incident.
This is the second falling death at Devil’s Lake State Park in 20-26.
