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ID Released For West Point Cadet Candidate Killed After Falling From Rock Ledge

The identity of the West Point cadet candidate who was killed in a cliff-diving accident has been released.

Benjamin K. Bochtler

Benjamin K. Bochtler

Photo Credit: Contributed
Fawn’s Leap in Hunter, New York.

Fawn’s Leap in Hunter, New York.

Photo Credit: Google Maps street view

The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31 in the Town of Hunter in Greene County, New York.

Troopers responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive man at a routinely frequented cliff diving location known as Fawn’s Leap, off Route 23A.

The man has now been ID'd as Benjamin K. Bochtler, 20, of Bellevue, Nebraska, who enlisted in the Army as a drone operator in 2016.

An investigation revealed Bochtler was hanging onto a rock ledge, when a portion of the rock broke from the ledge, causing him to fall, state police said. 

Life-saving measures at the scene were unsuccessful. 

Bochtler was a cadet candidate at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, located at West Point, police said.

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