CASTLE – State Park Police have identified the young man who fell into the gorge at Letchworth State Park on Friday.
State Police say that it was Matthew Rezsnyak, 14, who was hiking with a friend and the friend’s adult father at the time, when he allegedly stepped too close to the edge of the gorge, slipped, and fell.
State Police added that Rezsnyak was a freshman at Penfield High School. When the accident occurred, the Penfield Central School District initiated a Trauma Illness and Grief (TIG) checklist to alert Rezsnyak’s family, and make counselors available for any students or staff who need help with the grieving process.
“Everything we do is in accordance with the family’s wishes,” said Nancy Bradstreet, director of information for the Penfield Central School District. “Whenever there is a crisis, we have a protocol, a checklist, that helps everyone stay focused when emotions are running high.”
Tuesday was the first day of school at Penfield High school since the accident.
PHOTO CAPTION: Image courtesy of Dan Butler.