As a selling point on school tours, a staple in every pre-frosh publication, and a popular spot during Ithaca’s few warm months, the gorges are a major part of Cornell culture. While “Ithaca is gorges” t-shirts are seen by the dozens daily, many students are unaware of how these beautiful waterfalls came to be.

Ryan Lavin ’09, president of the Student Assembly, was at the scene two years ago when a group of students helped pull the body of a drowned teenager out of one of the gorges. Now, Lavin, along with other student leaders, Cornell administrators and Ithaca city officials, participated in a meeting on Friday to discuss new tactics for enforcing gorge safety issues in light of recent deaths and injuries.

[video]

On June 12th, undergraduate student Douglas Lowe tragically drowned in Fall Creek's rapid waters. Condolences and concerns have been voiced by many who wish this incident to be the last of its kind.

Cornell Police found a deceased female at the bottom of Fall Creek Gorge yesterday afternoon after receiving a call from a witness saying that a woman had jumped off the Suspension Bridge. Members of the Ithaca Police Department, Cornell Police Department, Ithaca Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance responded to the incident.

The body was removed at approximately 4 p.m. as "Members of the Ithaca Fire Department rappelled into the gorge [to] retrieve the body," according to a statement issued by the IPD. While the female has yet to be identified, police are continuing to investigate the incident.

The bridge has since been cleared, except for remnants of yellow police tape near the path leading down to the gorge.