A fall on Bear Mountain State Park, NY
July 24, 2008 - The Journal News reports:
Bear Mountain State Park is filled with natural wonders, from the flora and fauna to breathtaking views of the verdant ridges surrounding it. The attractions are all the more remarkable for their proximity to the concrete canyons of New York City. There really is that much green so close to Gotham.
The fortunate many are able to take in the attractions without incident and afterward regale city-tethered friends, co-workers and others with tales of ventures to the "upstate" wilds, where the only "escalators" are clad in hiking boots. Of course, with this abundant beauty is also peril, as a Putnam Valley family discovered tragically this week, and need for a commensurate appreciation of the risks.
Kelly Cortesi, 16, of Putnam Valley, yesterday succumbed to the injuries she sustained Sunday in a 29-foot fall off a Bear Mountain cliff. While swimming with her mother and a friend, Kelly apparently lost her footing as she scaled a ledge above the and plunged to the rocky shoreline below