Man hurt in fall from southern Ill. rock formation

HARRISBURG— A teenager is recovering from a head injury sustained in the latest fall from a rock formation in southern Illinois.

Saline County authorities say 18-year-old Ben Smith of Carterville was injured during the roughly 25-foot tumble while hiking last Saturday at the Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest.

He was airlifted to a hospital in Evansville, Ill. Sheriff’s Lt. Tracy Felty says Smith misjudged his step while hiking near Camel Rock and “wasn’t hurt too bad” in the fall.

Felty says hikers on trails this time of year should take precaution because fallen leaves can make trails slick and cover obstacles.

In August, a 44-year-old Indiana man was killed during a 75- to 100-foot fall from the formation.

The site is about 15 miles southeast of Harrisburg.