Ozark man in hospital after slip at waterfall
An Ozark man remained in critical condition Wednesday after falling about 30 feet through the Glory Hole, one of the most popular waterfalls in Arkansas, and landing on the rocks below.
Brandon Jones, 22, fell Monday in the Ozark National Forest, according to a news release from the Newton County sheriff’s office.
The Glory Hole is a hole in a cave roof in southern Newton County, about 12 miles west of Deer. Water and light going through the hole make it a popular spot for hikers and photographers.
When rescue workers reached him, Jones was semiconscious, confused and complaining of back and abdominal pain, according to the release.
Jones was placed in a Stokes basket, a special device used for securing patients during rescues, and carried about a mile out of the woods to a waiting helicopter.
Jones was airlifted to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, where he was still in critical condition late Wednesday.
Donna Williams of Ozark posted a warning Tuesday about the Glory Hole on AllTrails.com, a website for outdoor enthusiasts.
“Be careful!” she wrote. “One mis-step could mean your life! My nephew went today for a hike. When taking pics he mis-stepped and fell through the hole. He is now in critical but stable condition! After laying there over two hours because it took so long for paramedics to be able to reach him! Beautiful place I hear but dangerous like so many places … Please be careful!”
No contact information was available for Jones or Williams on Wednesday.
The Glory Hole waterfall is located within the Dismal Creek Special Interest Area, which is about 245 acres in size, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
“It is believed that The Glory Hole was created by an obstacle creating a hydrological vortex eroding (drilling) into the roof of the bluff shelter where the water plummets below to the shelter floor,” according to the Forest Service website, www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf.
C.J. Norvell, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said a serious fall occurs about once a year in the Ozark National Forest.
“That’s the nature of that area,” she said. “There are incredible bluffs and waterfalls. People want to get close, but sometimes they don’t realize they’re closer than they should be.”
In 2010, 26-year-old Dylan Meier of Pittsburg, Kan., fell 94 feet to his death near Hawksbill Crag in the Buffalo National River area while hiking with his family. He had climbed onto a 10-foottall boulder to get a better view, lost his footing and fell, Newton County Sheriff Keith Slape said at the time.
“It doesn’t take but one little step,” said Mark Clippinger, superintendent at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area near Rogers. “If you’re going to look over a ledge, get down on your knees, and as you get close to the edge, lay down on your belly. Or keep away from it, period.”