An Illinois man died after falling while hiking at a state park in New York.

The 70-year-old tourist, Jack Wersching, was hiking in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest in the Catskills on the evening of Friday, June 20, when he fell from a rock ledge onto stone steps below, according to a statement from New York State Police.

Wersching, of Park Ridge, Illinois, was walking along a path near a waterfall when the incident occurred. 

Park rangers responded quickly to the scene and attempted to stabilize him for an airlift to a hospital, but he died at the scene.

A 70-year-old tourist fell to his death from a rock ledge at a New York state park last week. (iStock)

“I just tried to save him, and I couldn’t,” Shalom told the outlet. 

Wersching’s family also shared a statement with the Post and described him as a “loving husband, father, and grandfather, remembering him as someone who approached life with curiosity and a sense of adventure.”

“Though we are devastated by this loss, we take comfort in knowing he was doing something he truly loved when he passed,” Wersching’s family said in the statement. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com