November 06, 2014 4:25 pm ? Journal staff
A 50-year-old man from Washington, D.C., was walking with family members at the Falling Rock site in the Black Hills when he lost his footing and fell to his death Thursday morning, Pennington County officials said.
The accident happened around 10:50 a.m. Thursday at Falling Rock, a popular climbing and hiking site a few miles west of Rapid City off Highway 44.
Ronald Emery was walking near a cliff when he stumbled and fell about 100 feet to his death, according to a release from Pennington County spokeswoman Patty Garland.
Officials from the Pennington County Sheriff's office and search and rescue, Rapid City Fire Department, Johnson Siding Fire Department and Life Flight responded to the accident.
Falling Rock has claimed a number of lives over the years. Since 1992, at least six people have died there, including a 5-year-old boy who fell 150 feet off a cliff in 2005, according to Journal archives. The latest fatality came in April when 39-year-old Michelle Goodgion of Rapid City fell to her death while rock climbing at the site.