Two-day search for hiker who fell into creek at McConnells Mill comes up empty
The second day of searching for a 38-year-old man from Meadville, Crawford County, who fell into Slippery Rock Creek from a hiking trail at McConnells Mill State Park, came up empty Sunday.
Firefighters and search and rescue teams from Butler, Beaver, Lawrence and Allegheny counties scoured 4.5 miles of the rugged banks of the creek and used a drone to look down from above for the man, but called off the search about 5 p.m.
The search will resume 8 a.m. Monday with park personnel.
Groups of people in kayaks were allowed to join the search in the afternoon when water levels began to recede.
The water level was above normal Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when the man fell into the creek while walking with family members on the Kildoo Trailjust downstream from the Covered Bridge, said Dustin Drew, park manager.
“Stay on the trail. That's the best advice I can give,” Drew said.
Searchers covered the area between the Covered and Eckert bridges Sunday morning and began shifting their focus a short distance downstream of the Eckert Bridge in the afternoon while the man's family waited for word in an area away from the search zone, he said.
Park officials declined to release the man's name at this time.
