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Hiker Dies After Fall From Cliff At River Gorge In UP

LAIRD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 75-year-old man has died after falling Monday from a cliff while hiking down a trail near a waterfall in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Douglas Welker slipped at the edge of the cliff at Sturgeon River Gorge near Houghton County's Laird Township, state police said Tuesday.

Welker of Pelkie fell 20 feet (6 meters) and struck his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation reveals his death to be accidental, state police said.

The gorge is part of the rugged Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness, about 80 miles (128 kilometers) west of Marquette.

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