Slippery Rock student, Pittsburgh native survives 80-foot fall off cliff at McConnells Mill

A Slippery Rock University student survived an 80-foot fall off a cliff when she “slipped on some leaves” Sunday afternoon near a climbing area at McConnells Mill State Park.

Jocie Van Kirk, 21, originally from Pittsburgh, was flown to a hospital around 3:30 p.m. Sunday to be treated for neck, back and pelvic injuries, said Chelsea Lynn Van Kirk, her sister.

The family is still waiting on further word from doctors in the hospital, but Chelsea Lynn Van Kirk said her sister is “doing well.”

Brian Flores, assistant park manager at Moraine State Park, whose offices oversees McConnells Mill State Park as well, said she was out hiking with a group of fellow SRU students.

She slipped on some leaves and fell about 80 feet, landing in Cheeseman Run, a tributary to Slippery Rock Creek, Flores said.

“When she slipped, she fell and tumbled down the existing embankment. From the tumble, she fell another 25 feet off the cliff area. She hit rocks and tumbled another 15 feet and into the creek,” he said.

When rescue crews found her, she was responsive and “in good spirits,” Flores said. “It could have been a lot worse than it was.”

Van Kirk was immobilized as crews hoisted her from the creek to a flat area so she could be flown to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh, Flores said.

The group of SRU students was out for the day hiking when they happened upon an advanced climbing area near Breakneck Bridge, Flores said.

According to theCrag.com, a website that logs information about locations across the country for climbers, there are a number of unnamed areas at McConnells Mill State Park to climb.

“They were in an advanced climbing area that requires ropes and safety harnesses,” Flores said.

The group was not “actively climbing,” he said.

“Just out on a day hike,” Flores said. “That area, the sun doesn’t get there much because of the trees. So it stays wet and iced longer. So you have conditions that can be slippery.”