Naperville Woman Plunges 25 Feet At Starved Rock

Caption: View of Wildcat Canyon at Starved Rock State Park.

A Naperville woman is in critical condition at a Rockford hospital after falling 25 feet into a canyon at Starved Rock State Park near Utica on Sunday.

Illinois Conservation Police Sgt. Robert Frazier told the Utica Times that the 19-year-old woman and two other individuals were climbing a wall in Wildcat Canyon when the woman fell 25 feet.

She was treated at the scene by Utica paramedics and brought across the Illinois River by Ottawa River Rescue Squad members. The 19-year-old woman was then airlifted from Utica Village Hall to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Rockford, the paper said.

WLPO Illinois Valley News reported that the young woman was “conscious and alert” when Utica paramedics found her in the canyon.

The Naperville woman along with other individuals were hiking in a restricted area in the park and are likely to face charges, Frazier said.

“You can’t climb in the park,” he said.

Authorities would not identify the woman other than her place of residence.