05/28/2008

Associated Press

Officials at a North Carolina park are evaluating barriers and signs along a trail where a 2-year-old South Carolina boy fell to his death.

Chimney Rock State Park officials say it's up to parents to decide if a hiking trail is safe for their children. State park workers mostly give advice and information on potential dangers.

Chimney Rock general manager Mary Jaeger-Gale told the Asheville Citizen-Times for a story Wednesday that Giovani Chávez's death was a devastating accident and a rare occurrence.

The boy had been hiking Saturday with his parents, Bibiana and Arturo Chávez, when he broke free and ran under a rail. The family is from Spartanburg, S.C. and was hiking on the Skyline Trail. Park maps advise parents not to bring small children on the Skyline Trail because of the steep cliffs.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com