ZOAR VALLEY, N.Y. -- The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office says a hiker fell 70 feet to his death Sunday in Zoar Valley, near Gowanda.

Deputies say Conor Long, 20, of the town of Boston was out hiking with friends on the Cattaraugus County side of the gorge. They believe he fell after trying to climb higher alongside a waterfall to take a picture.

The sheriff's office says steep terrain and poor cell phone service were obstacles for first responders.

Long was a summer program counselor at the Boston Recreation Center, where the Hamburg School District posted counselors to help friends deal with the grief.