Safety Enhancements Planned After Ohio Park Falls

State officials say safety improvements are planned after a third fatal fall from a cliff recently in the Hockings Hills region of southeastern Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says signs warning hikers not to leave marked trails are being enhanced. Rangers also have increased trail patrols and are issuing more citations to people who stray from them.

Ranger Paul Baker II tells The Columbus Dispatch that the changes will be made to blend with the rugged surroundings of Hocking Hills State Park, which attracts more than 1 million visitors annually.

The hiker who fell off a cliff Monday was 66-year-old John Schneider of Bay Village, near Cleveland.

A man rappelling from a cliff was killed Saturday, and a 19-year-old man was killed in a fall April 27.