GARDINER – A 56-year-old New Haven, Connecticut man who was rock climbing in a popular area of the Trapps Bridge section of the Mohonk Preserve fell to his death at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Deputies identified the man as Stephen Buda III.
Preliminary investigation, including witness accounts, said Buda had ascended about 150 to 175 feet of the approximately 200-foot section of the climb when he fell.
He was not wearing any climbing or safety equipment at the time that he fell.
The incident remains under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.
Buda was a career firefighter with the Bridgeport Fire Department. He had been with the department since August 2013.
According to coworkers, his favorite hobby was rock climbing.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by the State Department of Environmental Conservation, Gardiner Fire Department and EMS, and park rangers from the Mohonk Preserve.
