Trevathan Falls is located on the outskirts of Cooktown at Rossville.
A VICTORIAN grandfather on a family holiday has died after falling down an embankment while walking to Trevathan Falls.
The incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon, was described by police as a tragic accident.
“He was walking along the track to the falls and, for some reason, lost balance and fell down a steep gully,” said Cooktown officer in charge, Senior Sergeant John McArthur.
The 70-year-old victim, from Eltham in Melbourne’s north-east, was travelling in Queensland with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his grandchild.
“It’s not a long walk, no more than 100 metres, but it can be a steep little track and he’s probably fallen 40 or 50 metres,” Senior Sergeant McArthur said.
“His son has made it down to him and he was still alive, but he had died before paramedics arrived on scene.
“The son has used a sat phone to call Triple Zero and police and QAS attended.”
Because of the hard-to-access terrain, the man’s body had to be left overnight and wasn’t retrieved until Saturday.
The falls were closed to the public as a result and the scene was under police guard until the rescue helicopter made the retrieval the following afternoon.
“Police have referred the family to the support that is available to them,” Senior Sergeant McArthur said.
“It’s a tragic thing to happen, especially when you’re retired and on a family holiday in Queensland.
“I think they had been on the road for six or seven weeks.”
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
