Mt Yonah

Mt. Yonah, originally uploaded by mrkholcomb.

Some new information about the death of Elena Shaw.

The death of a young hiker Saturday on Mount Yonah near Cleveland was a sobering reminder that the wilderness can be unforgiving.

Elena Rae Shaw, 18, of Sautee, was with three teenage friends early that afternoon as they explored the sheer granite cliffs that have made 3,156-foot Mount Yonah the most recognizable landmark in White County.

She reportedly slipped and fell, plummeting about 600 feet into the Chattahoochee National Forest below. About two hours elapsed while a friend ran down the mountain to seek help and rescuers searched through the woods to locate where Shaw had fallen.

Remarkably, the teen was still alive when emergency personnel reached her. But her injuries were described as "massive," and she died before she could be taken to a hospital.

Officials stressed that Shaw didn’t do anything wrong. She had hiked Yonah a number of times and knew the area. She and her friends were not consuming alcohol or drugs.

But longtime hikers say the teens may not have had something that can help save lives: anxiety about heights.

Once again my condolences to her friends and family.