William Green, 33, and his wife, Amanda Green, 35, died while hiking in Zoar Valley, Cattaraugus Sunday afternoon after a fall from a cliff. Their bodies, along with their critically injured four-year-old son, were found on a ledge at the base of the cliff.

Bodies discovered by hikers in Zoar Valley

As reported by the Buffalo News, the bodies of the couple and their son were spotted by two hikers on Sunday afternoon, lying on the ledge, just a few feet above the water. The hikers had no cell phone with them, but asked another hiker in the area to call 911 at around 12:45 p.m.

However as emergency medical technicians arrived on the scene, the couple was found to already be dead. Their four-year-old son, Alexander was airlifted by helicopter to the Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, in a critical condition.

Officials told WIVB 4 the couple's son had suffered fractures as well as head and internal injuries and was said to be in a guarded condition on Sunday night.

Reportedly the search and rescue operation saw up to 100 people involved, including rappelling teams and firefighters from several surrounding areas, along with personnel from the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Second child found in the Zoar Valley gorge

According to Scott Zylka, a spokesman for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, when EMT’s found a pair of child’s sneakers among the couple’s belongings, they realized they were too large to be worn by Alexander. This led to a search for the couple’s other son, a seven-year-old Jacob, who was found alone in the gorge after 6 p.m.

that evening. According to the Buffalo News, Jacob was able to walk out of the gorge to a paramedic who was searching in the area. Jacob has also been hospitalized with a broken right ankle and arm, although officials say it is unclear at present whether he fell with the rest of his family.

The area where the family fell is reportedly one of the steepest areas in the Zoar Valley.

Officials say they are still investigating the cause of the accident and that at present it is not clear how long the family lay on the ledge before hikers spotted them.

Gowanda Fire Chief, Nick Crassi, said the location where the family was found is a dangerous area. He went on to say he has worked in Zoar Valley for 40 years and that rescuers know just how dangerous it is. Crassi, who helped to rescue the family, said there are many cliffs and no safety devices to prevent falls.
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