Gorge fall kills Barren man, 20

Published 12:00 am Friday, December 4, 1998

SLADE A Transylvania University sophomore from Cave City died this weekend, apparently of injuries suffered in a 160-foot fall at Red River Gorge. David Joe Turner, who would have been 20 on Sunday, was camping Saturday with about a dozen other people in the gorges Chimney Top Rock area when he wandered off about 9 p.m., according to Kentucky State Police in Morehead. U.S. Forest Service officials were told of his disappearance about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.Search dogs, state police and Middle Fork Fire & Rescue squads also were involved in the search. Turners body was found about 1,000 yards from his campsite at the bottom of a 160-foot cliff about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, state police said. A time of death has not been determined, but an autopsy was scheduled for today at the state Medical Examiners Office in Frankfort. The case remains under investigation, but state police said foul play was not suspected. He was very outgoing and he will be missed by everyone who knew him or had a class with him even, university spokeswoman Sarah Emmons said. Turner, a son of Marion Joe and Rhonda Turner of Cave City, made the deans list with at least a 3.5 grade point average during both semesters of his freshman year. He had expressed an interest in medical school and was considering a major in chemistry, biology or both, Emmons said. He was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and was beginning practice for his second year as a Transylvania Pioneers basketball team cheerleader, she said. What apparently happened to David Joe Turner wandering into the darkness in unfamiliar territory and falling is not infrequent in Red River Gorge, which is part of Daniel Boone National Forest, Trooper Ralph Lockard said. It happens several times a year, unfortunately, he said. Three other people have died there this summer and another person was flown to the hospital Saturday with severe injuries, he said. Its very beautiful country, but its very unforgiving, Lockard said.

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