An SIUC student was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital Monday after she fell off a cliff in Giant City State Park.

The woman fell about 40 to 50 feet while she and two other students were climbing an off-trail bluff near the Giant City Nature Trail, according to a press release from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The two other students who were climbing ahead called for emergency services after they heard the victim scream, said Chris Young, a spokesman for the department.

Cobden firefighters and Union County Ambulance Service responded to the call about 11 a.m. Monday, Young said, and site personnel transported the victim to the rescue helicopter, which brought her to the trauma center in St. Louis.

The victim, whose identity and condition had not been released as of Wednesday evening, is a member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority chapter at SIU.

Kendra Wiegand, who belongs to the same sorority, said the accident came as a shock to the other chapter members.

“We’re definitely a little bit shaken up,” said Wiegand, a junior from Highland studying animal science. “But we’re all rallying behind her and we’re happy to see all the support from the other Greek organizations at SIU.”

Bill Lukitsch can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3329.