Officials recover body of WSU grad who fell over Palouse Falls

The body of a recent WSU graduate who fell into the river above Palouse Falls has been found.

An official with Columbia Basin Dive Rescue said the body of Noble Stoneman, 25, was located Monday morning in the pool below the the 198-foot waterfall.

The official didn't immediately know how the body was spotted.

Stoneman fell Thursday from a cliff on an unofficial trail above the falls. It was the same cliff that another man fell from last Memorial Day.

Stoneman was hiking on an unmarked trail at Palouse Falls State Park when he walked to a ledge above the upper pool.

The ledge crumbled and he fell 50 to 100 feet into the water, said officials.

The state has posted warning signs in the past telling hikers about the dangers of walking on unapproved trails.

Palouse Falls State Park has been closed pending the search. State officials plan to reopen the park at 8 a.m. May 15.

Stoneman's death is the fourth in three years at the park, coming less than three weeks after a Colville man drowned below the falls while swimming.

This story was originally published May 14, 2018 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Officials recover body of WSU grad who fell over Palouse Falls."