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Woman who fell to death in Mill Creek Park identified

YOUNGSTOWN — A woman from out of town who fell 40 to 50 feet to her death at Mill Creek Park near Lanterman’s Mill on Thursday has been identified as 74-year-old Renee Moye.

Moye was involved in an accident that caused her to fall near the west side of the water into the ravine below, according to the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office, which responded to the scene just before noon.

Mill Creek MetroParks Police Chief Randy Campana said Moye, of Christiansburg, Va., was passing through the park on a hike with her granddaughter before she fell. According to Youngstown fire Capt. Chad Manchester, she slipped and fell around 11:25 a.m. Police also added that the young woman with her called “more than twice” to get assistance.

Two officers were dispatched to the Old Mill in reference to someone falling off the cliff on the west side of the West Gorge trail, according to the MetroParks police report. And in the report, an officer also stated that the caller said she “fell down the hill and could not see her.”

About 40 yards away from the Canfield Road bridge, the scene was shut down by crews. Manchester explained, “We had to set up a rope system to get her out.” He also said the crew sent 14 firefighters and one Mill Creek MetroParks police officer to retrieve her.

Manchester said once they made their way to the bottom of the gorge, a couple of firefighters had already checked for a pulse, but could not find one. Moye was found lying on rocks, and leaning on a tree.

He said Moye lost a shoe on the way down and branches from the tree she fell against were broken from about 12 and 15-feet off the ground. The shoe was found about 15 yards from where she was lying, along with a small brown purse laying by her feet.

There have been three deaths at Mill Creek Park in the past month, including on Monday afternoon when a body was pulled from a stream that connects to Lake Newport and feeds the waterfall at Lanterman’s Mill.

Crews had to enter the water in a canoe to retrieve the body. No further information was available Monday.

On May 27, Brian Costantini, 35, of Boardman, died after an 80-foot tree fell on the golf cart he was riding in at the Mill Creek Golf Course. His brother-in-law, Jordan Hardwick, 35, of Columbiana, was driving the cart when the tree fell on hole 17 of the north course, crushing the cart and trapping the occupants inside.

Hardwick was able to escape the golf cart with the help of others on the course who removed tree branches from him. Hardwick was treated at the scene for chest soreness, but declined any other medical attention, a police report stated.

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