Rattlesnake Point is a popular site in Milton for hikers, bikers and rock climbers to visit when the weather is nice with some stunning views of the escarpment. But it’s also a place where mishaps happen regularly.

A woman fell over a cliff and died Sunday night, the second straight year a fatal accident has happened in Halton Region’s conservation areas.

“We frequent the area regularly,” says Milton’s Acting Fire Chief Dave Pratt. “The majority of the calls we attend to are for twisted ankles, someone lost. But two to three times a year, we have an incident like this where someone needs help over a cliff.”

At around 9:30 p.m., Milton’s fire department responded to a call for a rope rescue after two people fell over a cliff at the conservation area.

Pratt said it took emergency crews about an hour to make contact with a male and female, who were about 20 metres below, near Appleby Line.

“At that time, a female patient was pronounced (dead), so it became a body recovery instead of a rope rescue,” said Pratt.

By midnight, police had recovered the body of a 23-year-old woman and rescued a man who was with her.

Police are still investigating how the woman fell over the cliff, Pratt said.

“This is two years in a row we’ve had a fatality with someone over a cliff,” said Pratt.

He said the fire department has been closely working with the conservation officials to make sure parkgoers take necessary safety precautions during their visit.

But Pratt said even with frequent reminders on what not to do, some people don’t follow the rules and that’s when accidents happen.

Norm Miller, spokesperson for Conservation Halton, said there are some fences and protective barriers in the park, but not all areas are near a cliff.

“Our thoughts are with the young woman, her family, and her friends,” Miller said. “At this time, we have no further comments because it’s still an active investigation.”

Rattlesnake Point was closed Monday for the police investigation.

In mid-April, a 41-year-old rock climber had to be airlifted to a hospital after suffering serious injuries when he slipped from a cliff face and fell 15 metres to the ground.

At a neighbouring park, also run by Conservation Halton, a 35-year-old Toronto firefighter died after falling 18 metres from a cliff.

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Sara Rosen was cycling with a friend when she fell down an escarpment at Kelso Conservation Area last May. She was pronounced dead at the scene.