Naperville teen injured in Starved Rock fall identified
A 19-year-old Naperville woman remains hospitalized with serious injuries after falling more than 20 feet while climbing in a restricted area of Starved Rock State Park, authorities said Monday.
Danielle Pirami-Morin was in fair condition Monday afternoon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, one day after being flown there in critical condition, said Ben Brown, chief of the Utica Fire Protection District.
Brown said Pirami-Morin was conscious and alert when paramedics arrived at the park about 65 miles southwest of Naperville, despite initial information that she was breathing but face down and unconscious.
The 19-year-old was hiking with two other people about 12:25 p.m. in the park's Wildcat Canyon when all three left the trail, said Chris Young, communications director for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Trails in Starved Rock are clearly marked with wooden railings. Leaving the trails, rock climbing, rappelling and scrambling are not allowed for several reasons, including visitor safety, he said.
"Some of those falls can be pretty extreme," Young said.
Not only are the cliffs steep and the canyons deep, but the sandstone of the canyon walls is soft and fragile plants cling to it, Young said.
"Hikers are asked to please observe the rules of the park and to remain on paths and boardwalks," Young said. "People just need to enjoy nature but respect that it can be dangerous."
The two people hiking with Pirami-Morin, 18-year-old John Shestri of Aurora and 18-year-old Emily Blair of Naperville, were given $120 misdemeanor citations for unlawful entry into a restricted area, said Sgt. Robert Frazier with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police. Pirami-Morin likely will be cited as well, Frazier said.
Falls into the canyons of Starved Rock happen at least a couple of times a year, Brown said. In March, 18-year-old Christopher Stewart of Aurora suffered a 90-foot fall into Wildcat Canyon after he left the trail and began kicking at an icy waterfall, Young said. Stewart was taken to a Peoria hospital after his fall, but an update on his condition was not available Monday.