{"id":23484,"date":"2025-10-28T09:39:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T09:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/23484\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T09:39:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T09:39:18","slug":"dad-finds-13-year-old-son-dead-after-200-foot-fall-from-bluff-inside-popular-national-park-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/23484\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad finds 13-year-old son dead after 200-foot fall from bluff inside popular National Park site"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nps1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-v-7d0efd03=\"\"\/> article <\/p>\n<p data-v-7d0efd03=\"\">Arkansas father finds 13-year-old son dead after cliff fall at Buffalo National River park. (Buffalo National River Facebook\/Coffman Funeral Home) <\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\/arkansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">An Arkansas father<\/a> made a heartbreaking discovery over the weekend when he found his 13-year-old son dead after a 200-foot fall from a bluff at Buffalo National River, officials said.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">The tragedy unfolded Saturday, Oct. 18, when the Searcy County Sheriff\u2019s Office received a report around 11 a.m. that a 13-year-old boy had fallen from a cliff near Brewer Bluff in the park\u2019s Middle District, according to a Facebook post from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/travel\/general\/national-parks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Buffalo National River.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">Park staff and first responders, including search-and-rescue volunteers, fire crews and Survival Flight, responded. Members of the Harrison Fire Department rappelled about 260 feet down the bluff as park rangers approached from the river below.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">The teenager, later identified as Kayleb Lynn Eddings, was found unresponsive by his father, Toby Eddings, who was among the first to reach his son, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.4029tv.com\/article\/13-year-old-dies-after-fall-at-buffalo-national-river\/69085717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">according to KHBS.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/colorado-man-dies-after-car-drives-over-rim-grand-canyon-national-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">COLORADO MAN DIES AFTER CAR DRIVES OVER RIM OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nps.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-v-0dea8073=\"\"\/> <\/p>\n<p data-v-0dea8073=\"\">Officials confirmed a 13-year-old boy died from a fall near Brewer Bluff at Buffalo National River on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (Buffalo National River Facebook) <\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">&#8220;Buffalo National River staff and I send our condolences to this young man\u2019s family,&#8221; said park Superintendent Angela Boyers. &#8220;We also thank the responders from the local communities that showed up to assist with this incident.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">Officials said the 13-year-old had been with a friend when he lost his footing near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/travel\/general\/camping-hiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the edge of the overlook.<\/a> He slipped from a lookout point and fell about 200 feet, the Department of the Interior said.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">The National Park Service (NPS) and Searcy County Sheriff\u2019s Office are jointly investigating the fall.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, said there are no advisories in the area and there is no danger to the public.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">Officials reminded visitors that the terrain in the Buffalo National River area &#8220;can be rugged and steep,&#8221; urging people to stay a safe distance from the edge when enjoying overlooks.<\/p>\n<p> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nps2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-v-0dea8073=\"\"\/> <\/p>\n<p data-v-0dea8073=\"\">Officials at Buffalo National River confirmed a 13-year-old boy died over the weekend after falling from a bluff inside the park. (Buffalo National River Facebook) <\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">Eddings was an eighth grader at Ozark Mountain School District, remembered by his family as a kind, joyful boy whose &#8220;bright, jovial personality had no rival,&#8221; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coffmanfh.com\/obituary\/kayleb-eddings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">his obituary.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/bodies-3-men-recovered-from-mississippi-river-after-swimming-fishing-sandbar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">BODIES OF 3 MEN RECOVERED FROM MISSISSIPPI RIVER AFTER SWIMMING, FISHING ON SANDBAR<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nps3.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-v-0dea8073=\"\"\/> <\/p>\n<p data-v-0dea8073=\"\">Officials at Buffalo National River warn the terrain can be &#8220;rugged and steep&#8221; and to &#8220;stay a safe distance from the edge.&#8221; (Buffalo National River Facebook) <\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">&#8220;While there are many words to describe Kayleb, the most accurate and profound word is LOVE,&#8221; his family wrote in his obituary. &#8220;Kayleb was loved by everyone who had the fortune to meet him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">He loved riding his four-wheeler, collecting Hot Wheels with his dad, hunting with his grandfather and spending time with friends. &#8220;Most of all,&#8221; his family wrote, &#8220;he loved aggravating his younger brothers and absolutely adored his youngest brother, Bean.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">&#8220;There are no words to express the deafening quiet that has filled the space where Kayleb\u2019s voice once reverberated,&#8221; his family wrote. &#8220;While that space will never be filled, one can find comfort in the whispering of the wind, the flutter of a butterfly, the beauty of a buck and most of all, the eternal presence of God.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\">A celebration of life will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m. at the St. Joe School gymnasium in St. Joe, Arkansas.<\/p>\n<p data-v-6fc2855c=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/dad-finds-13-year-old-son-dead-after-200-foot-fall-from-bluff-inside-popular-national-park-site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Read more on FOX News.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13news.com\/tag\/us\/ar\" class=\"tags-tag\" data-v-6fc2855c=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Arkansas<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"article Arkansas father finds 13-year-old son dead after cliff fall at Buffalo National River park. (Buffalo National River&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[18038,115,135,137,136,628],"class_list":{"0":"post-23484","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-ar","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-tampa","11":"tag-tampa-headlines","12":"tag-tampa-news","13":"tag-us"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}