Husband and wife, Amanda and William Green, were the named as the Buffalo family involved in a fatal hiking accident in a western New York gorge. The following photos of the family were discovered and posted exclusively by TheCount.com.
Amanda, 35, and William, aka, Bill, 33, were hiking with their young sons, Jacob, 7, and Alexander, 4, when the mother and father fell from the Zoar Valley Cliffs, seriously injuring the 4-year-old, authorities said.
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The bodies of Amanda and Bill were discovered along with their injured son Alexander in the gorge shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, Erie County Sheriff Timothy Howard said. Rescuers found the couple’s 7-year-old son, Jacob, walking nearby. The 4-year-old was airlifted to a Buffalo hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. His brother was also taken to the hospital to be checked out for unspecified non-life-threatening injuries. source
Authorities believe the two adults and child fell about 200 feet (60 meters) down a steep cliff but are not sure what caused the fall. Police continue to investigate.
Hikers came upon the adults’ bodies, Howard said.
“The first two hikers who found the bodies did not have a cellphone,” Howard said. “They flagged down a third hiker who made the call.”
Rescue crews found sneakers that were too large for the 4-year-old and began a search. Eventually, the elder boy met up with rescue personnel, officials said.
The Zoar Valley, on the Erie-Cattaraugus (kat-uh-RAW’-gus) county line 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Buffalo, is a popular hiking and kayaking spot, with scenic cliffs as high as 400 feet (122 meters) and the whitewater Cattaraugus Creek running through the gorge.
The gorge has been the scene of several rescue operations in recent years after hikers got hurt or became lost.
A social media posting said Amanda worked as a Customer Service Representative at BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends at this difficult time.