College student dies after falling 200 feet in Alabama cave, officials say

A college student died Saturday after he fell 200 feet in Alabama’s Valhalla Cave, police say.

Trever Col, 21, was rappelling in Valhalla Cave in Jackson County when he fell while trying to fix a rigging that had come loose, KVUE reported. Police say he fell roughly 200 feet and died on impact.

Col was a senior mechanical engineering student at Purdue University, according to the school. The Austin, Texas, native was part of the Purdue Outing Club and on track to graduate in 2020.

Officials say Col was in the cave with four other Purdue students when he fell, WIBC reported.

“They’re all cavers,” Jackson County Sheriff Chuck Phillips told WHNT. “They do this for fun and sport.”

Phillips added that the pit was “more-less a vertical drop.”

Police say the group had to drive a mile to get cellular service to call for help, according to the news outlet, and it took four hours to recover Col’s body.

Dr. Katie Sermersheim, associate vice provost and dean of students at Purdue, expressed her sympathies to Col’s loved ones.

“We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of Trever and offer our condolences and support to his family and friends,” she WTVM.