Oct 8, 2025, 8:33 AM CST
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BARABOO, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – A man fell to his death while rock climbing at Devil’s Lake State Park over the weekend.
Baraboo Area Fire and EMS Assistant Chief Mark Willer says the 84-year-old man who was part of a rock climbing group had fallen about 25 feet on Sunday.
The man was climbing on the West Bluff, near the park’s north shore. Emergency services were dispatched at 11:36 a.m.
The victim was still breathing when paramedics first arrived but died from his injuries before a rope rescue system could be used. A rescue team was able to use the rope system to recover the man’s body.
Miller says the department typically handles about five rescues a year that require the rope system.
The Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District is known for its experienced rope rescue team.
Jo Ann Krulatz is Senior Radio Journalist and News Director at WRCO and WRCE in Richland Center. Email her at joann.krulatz@civicmedia.us.
Adam Hess has been involved in radio broadcasting since 1990, with many of those years spent on the air at WRCO FM in Richland Center. Currently, Adam hosts the Weekend Wake-up and Prime Mover Saturdays on WRCO FM, jumps in and helps out with news duties, handles Social Media duties for WRCO and WRCE, and is the Director of Technology at a Southwest Wisconsin School District. Reach him at adam.hess@civicmedia.us.
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