UGA student dies following hiking accident

While hiking with a family member, a student from the University of Georgia fell from an unmarked trail and died from his injuries.

William Cooper Gatch, a 23-year-old student from the University of Georgia, died on Monday while hiking with his sister at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, Connecticut, according to his obituary.

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Dispatch Center received a call on Monday at 11:45 a.m., according to a press release from the agency. Gatch had fallen off an unmarked trail and was later found in the woods, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The investigation determined the incident to be accidental, according to the release.

Gatch was expected to graduate from the University of Georgia in May with his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. During his final semester, he taught students at Madison County High School through the Future Farmers of America program. The family requested that anyone interested in making a memorial contribution in honor of Gatch to send it to the Georgia FFA Foundation.

This article appears on NowGeorgia.com in partnership with WUGA News