A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Arkansas at the Buffalo National River over the weekend when a father discovered his 13-year-old son dead after a 200-foot fall from a bluff inside the national park.
The Searcy County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, that a 13-year-old boy had fallen from a cliff near Brewer Bluff in the park’s Middle District, according to a Facebook post from Buffalo National River. Search-and-rescue volunteers, firefighters, and Survival Flight crews responded to the remote area. Members of the Harrison Fire Department rappelled about 260 feet down the bluff as rangers approached from the river below.
The victim, identified as Kayleb Lynn Eddings, was found unresponsive by his father, Toby Eddings, who was among the first to reach him, officials said. “Buffalo National River staff and I send our condolences to this young man’s family,” said park Superintendent Angela Boyers. “We also thank the responders from the local communities that showed up to assist with this incident.”
Officials said Kayleb had been with a friend when he lost his footing and slipped from a lookout point. The Department of the Interior confirmed there are no advisories in the area and no danger to the public but reminded visitors that the terrain “can be rugged and steep.”
Kayleb’s obituary described him as a joyful eighth grader whose “bright, jovial personality had no rival.” His family wrote, “While there are many words to describe Kayleb, the most accurate and profound word is LOVE.”
