Southern Illinois hiker injured in fall down cliff before eclipse

Emergency crews rescued an 18-year-old man who fell about 20 feet down a cliff around noon Monday at Garden of the Gods.

The Indiana man was hiking when he fell, according to Equality Fire Department Chief Cole Baker. He was airlifted to an area hospital.

While the man is expected to live, Baker said the man suffered facial injuries and bruising on his body when he fell, about an hour before an eclipse reached totality in Southern Illinois.

Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Saline EMS and United States Forest Service crews assisted the fire department on the call.

Baker said emergency responders were stationed at the state park Monday in response to the influx of visitors for the solar eclipse.

Garden of the Gods and two other areas in Shawnee National Forest temporarily closed Sunday because of safety issues as around 300,000 eclipse visitors made the journey into the parks. The Shawnee National Forest in Herod was in the path of totality for Monday’s solar eclipse.

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Southern Illinois hiker injured in fall down cliff before eclipse."