Hiker dies after falling 50 feet off popular Appalachian Trail summit, VA officials say

A 23-year-old hiker died after he fell 50 feet from McAfee Knob — one of the most photographed places on the Appalachian Trail, Virginia officials say.

The hiker, identified as Paul Classen from the Netherlands, fell from the summit early Sunday, May 29, according to a statement from the Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Department.

About 30 firefighters and three police officers responded to rescue him, the statement says.

Rescuers reached him and rendered aid on scene before carrying him up a steep and rocky trail to reach an all-terrain vehicle at the summit, the statement says. The rescuers got him off the trail by about 9:30 a.m.

The vehicle took him to a medical helicopter, which flew him to a regional hospital, where he died later on May 29.

Classen was sitting on the cliff with his feet on a lower rock eating breakfast when he suddenly slumped forward and fell, according to Hillary Taylor, who said she was posting on Facebook on behalf of Classen’s family.

“He was our friend, and the most lively, empathetic, personable, fun and goofy guy you could ever meet,” she wrote. “If you met him on the trail I’m sure you will remember him.”

McAfee Knob is on top of Catawba Mountain, which has an elevation of 3,197 feet, in Virginia’s Blue Ridge and is considered one of the highlights of the Appalachian Trail.

The knob is also one of the most popular hikes on the East Coast and offers 270-degree panoramic views of the surrounding valley and mountains, according to Visit Roanoke Virginia.

The peak is about 190 miles west of Richmond.

The Appalachian Trail stretches about 2,194 miles from Maine to Georgia and is the longest hiking footpath in the world, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. About 3 million people visit the trail every year.

This story was originally published May 29, 2022 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Hiker dies after falling 50 feet off popular Appalachian Trail summit, VA officials say."