CL South Teen Remains Hospitalized Following Fall in Canyon

Dylan C. Smith, the 17-year-old who fell into a canyon in the Wisconsin Dells, is being treated at UW Hospital in Madison for injuries sustained when he tried to take a shortcut by crossing a log over a canyon,  according to a Lake Delton Police Department report.

The department released additional details this past week surrounding the Crystal Lake teen's fall 30 feet into a canyon near the Wilderness Waterpark Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The accidental fall occurred during the early morning hours of May 8.

Smith, a senior at Crystal Lake South High School, was at the Wilderness Resort with friends, according to the police report.

The report said Smith is believed to have been drinking before the accident occurred and used someone else's identification card to check into the Wilderness Resort.

Just hours before the fall, 25 other area teens from Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills received tickets for underage drinking at the Wilderness, Lake Delton Police Chief Thomas Dorner said. Some of the citations also involved charges for possession of marijuana, Dorner said. 

Dorner said more charges could be filed in connection with the incident.

Smith's Condition, Fake ID

Smith is receiving treatment at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. He  was transported to the hospital by helicopter following the accident on May 8.

A UW Hospital spokesperson said the hospital had no condition update for Smith Monday, and a message left by Patch with Smith's family was not returned. Information on Smith's condition had been redacted from a police report provided to Lake in the Hills Patch.

According to the police reports released Friday, Smith appeared to have fallen nearly 30 feet into a canyon, which is on property owned by Lost Canyon Tours and near the Wilderness Resort where Smith had been staying in a cabin.

The Wilderness Resort confirmed that Dylan C. Smith checked into the resort using a different name and the ID of a 21-year-old Crystal Lake teen, the report states.

"We believe the original intent (of loaning the ID) was to allow [Smith] to check into the hotel," Dorner said. "We can't verify that it was used to buy alcohol, or if there was any criminal intent."

Details Prior to the Accident

At about 11 p.m. on May 7, the manager and security guards from the Wilderness Resort responded to noise and disorderly conduct complaints made regarding a gathering at two cabins on the property, according to the police report. The manager informed the occupants that police would be called to the scene.

When police arrived to the cabin, they issued the 25 citations for underage drinking, Dorner said. Smith's friend told police Smith was present at the Wilderness gathering, fled on foot and went to a different villa at the Wilderness, according to the report.

While at that villa, Smith asked his friend, an 18-year-old Crystal Lake man, to accompany him back to his cabin around 2 a.m. to retrieve food and Jell-O shots, according to the report. 

On the way from the villa to the cabin, the friend later told police Smith decided to cross a log "bridge" to save time, according to the report. The pair had to cross a fence first to get to the log, which was a no trespassing area and off limits to the public. They used light from their cell phones to guide the way, and both made it across.

On their return trip, the friend encouraged Smith to take the lighted path instead of the log bridge, but the friend told police Smith insisted on wanting to save time. The friend said he again decided to accompany him because he didn't want him to go alone, according to the report.

Not knowing how deep the canyon was, the friend crossed the log first, according to the report. When Smith attempted to cross again, the friend told police he heard a branch break and "nothing else."

He told police he called out to Smith 10 times, heard no response and called 9-1-1 around 2:34 a.m.

First to the Scene

Lake Delton Police Department Sgt. Daniel Hess was the first to respond to the scene and to locate Smith in the canyon who he said was unconscious at the time.

Hess spoke and yelled loudly "words of encouragement" to Smith while waiting for emergency responders to make it into the canyon, according to the report. 

Hess also said in the report there were times when Smith stopped making much noise or moving and he worried Smith would not survive, according to the report.

He also noted a "strong odor of intoxicants" coming from Smith and found a black garbage near Smith that appeared to contain a “jar of jelly or jam and a container with Jell-O shots,” the report states.

Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and were able to remove him from the canyon before Smith was transported by helicopter to Madison.