MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The man who died after falling around 50 feet in the air near Morgantown High School Tuesday morning has been identified.
Aaron Thomas Riel, 38, of the Morgantown area, died after falling while trying to jump from one tree to another tree in the area of MHS and the Monongalia County Board of Education building.
Police said the victim had no connection with the school or the board office.
Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston said law enforcement and other first responders were called out to the scene at 5:33 a.m. Tuesday of a psychiatric emergency, where Riel was reportedly screaming and climbing trees.
Officers attempted to talk Riel down, but he jumped from one tree to another and fell to the ground
He was pronounced dead at the scene.