Fatality Occurs After Person Falls at Starved Rock State Park

A horrible incident at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois has led to the fatality of one person who fell over the weekend.

The walls of Wildcat Canyon rise high above hikers at Starved Rock State Park near Utica, Illinois. Starvedrock Wildcat2 / Chelsey Lewis/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Starved Rock State Park is one of the most popular attractions in Illinois. Located about 100 miles southwest of Chicago in Oglesby, Illinois, it is a must-see for anyone looking for hiking trails or somewhere to get in the water in the state.

With over 13 miles of trails, including Lover’s Leap Overlook, there are plenty of things to see on your travels. Views of the Illinois River, where the park sits, can be seen along with the Starved Rock Dam. 

One of the things that people enjoy the most is the rain-fed waterfalls. St. Louis, French and Wildcat Canyons are among the ones in the park that have waterfalls for visitors to see.

In addition to hiking and fishing, people can do some hunting and camping on the grounds. There are 18 canyons made out of sandstone and covered in moss that were created by glacial meltwater. 

The canyons are very steep, which can lead to accidents. Unfortunately, that is what happened over the weekend. 

On Saturday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., someone died after falling at Illinois Canyon. CBS News has revealed that the victim was a man, but that is all of the information that has been shared to that point.

In an update, it has been revealed that the person who died was Albert Cramer of Oswego. No foul play is suspected in his death. A wife of 10 years, four daughters and two granddaughters survive Cramer.

What led to Cramer’s fall and death has not yet been made immediately clear. A coroner from LaSalle County was on the scene along with the Illinois Conservation Police.

Calls were placed to the ICP and Illinois Department of Natural Resources by people at USA Today, but no calls were immediately returned.