Teen hiker dies after falling at Acadia National Park

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — A 17-year-old male fell to his death on Friday while hiking with friends at Acadia National Park in Maine, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the National Park Service, the teen fell approximately 25 feet near the Otter Cliff area of the park. Park rangers and the Bar Harbor police and fire departments responded to the scene at approximately noon, the release stated.

The Bangor Daily News reported that the teen was identified as Bryce Basso, a junior at Brewer High School. The teen’s identity was confirmed in an email sent Friday afternoon by Brewer High School Principal Brent Slowikowski and Brewer Superintendent Gregg Palmer to parents, according to the newspaper.

“He was a very nice young man and our hearts break for his family,” Palmer told the Daily News.

Teammates and faculty members said that Basso excelled in football, wrestling, baseball and everyday life, the newspaper reported.

Scott Flagg, the high school’s football coach, said that Basso, who started at defensive back and also played wide receiver, was the type of player who worked hard and never expected anything to be handed to him.

“He got ill last year and lost his starting job briefly and never said a word about it,” Flagg told the Daily News. “When he came back, he worked his way back into it and ended up getting the position back. A lot of kids would complain in that situation, but with him, you knew he would just work and do what he had to do.”

Basso played spring baseball during his freshman and sophomore years at the high school, according to the newspaper.

“He played so humble and always gave it everything he had,” Brewer senior Evan Nadeau who played football and baseball with Basso, told the Daily News. “His passing has had a devastating impact on our school. We just had baseball practice and had a great conversation about Bryce and how he meant to our school and family. Bryce may be gone from the earth, but he has left behind a legacy that I hope other future Witches will follow.”

The Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating the death, the Portland Press Herald reported.