Chimney Rock, N.C. -- Officials at a North Carolina park are evaluating barriers and signs along a trail where a 2-year-old South Carolina boy fell to his death. Chimney Rock State Park officials say it's up to parents to decide if a hiking trail is safe for their children.
State park workers mostly give advice and information on potential dangers. "To say no, children should not go on this trail, or children should not go near this water feature, I'm not sure we want to take that responsibility entirely, and I'm not sure our visitors want us to take that responsibility," state Division of Parks and Recreation Spokesman Charlie Peek told the Asheville Citizen-Times for a story Wednesday.
Chimney Rock general manager Mary Jaeger-Gale told the Asheville Citizen-Times that Giovani ChÄavez's death was a devastating accident and a rare occurrence.
The boy had been hiking Saturday with his parents, Bibiana and Arturo ChÄavez, when he broke free and ran under a rail. The family is from Spartanburg, S.C. and was hiking on the Skyline Trail.
Park maps advise parents not to bring small children on the Skyline Trail because of the steep cliffs. Authorities want to interview the family again. They do not speak English. Signs at the park are written in English and Spanish.
Peeks says people often visit state parks with a leisurely mentality, as if entering a controlled environment. "When you step out of your car in a state park, you're in a different environment, and we very consciously make a point of trying to remind people of that," Peek said.
