COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — Maury County Schools say a Columbia Central High School student died after falling from a bluff while hiking.
Carmen McMillan was identified as the person who died.
Rescue crews were called to an area of Maury County after a woman fell 75-100 feet while hiking.
The call came in around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday along Cheeks Bend near the Duck River.
Officials confirmed two women were hiking in the area when one of them fell from a bluff.
Crews found McMillan along the river bank and placed her in an ambulance. She died from her injuries.
911 Director Mark Gandee said the area is a well-known hiking trail. He said it was the most serious incident they've responded to in at least 30 years.
According to Maury County Schools, McMillan was on the Columbia Central swim team and was a member of the CHS Collegiate Academy.
She was also a member of the youth ministry at Grace Church of the Nazarene in Columbia.
The church sent out a statement following her death:
Dear Grace Church Family,
It is with a heavy heart that we share with you that one of our Grace Students, Carmen McMillan, has passed away this afternoon. Carmen had recently returned with our students from the Nazarene Youth Conference in Phoenix. She was a student leader among her peers in Grace Student Ministries as well as in the community and her school. Carmen’s mother, Ana Basoa, also attends our church and serves in the nursery. Please be in prayer for this family, our students, and the community in the wake of this tragic loss.
We will share information with you as arrangements are made. Speak words today you think might be able to wait until tomorrow. Thank God for the gift of good people in your life. Join us in loving Carmen’s family and friends in the days ahead.
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