By JORDAN KINZLER

CLARYVILLE - On the afternoon of June 1, a Long Island teacher was killed in a fall while hiking on New York State Forest Preserve land. The teacher, Laura Steckler, was hiking with a group of developmentally diabled students and faculty from the Rosemary Kennedy School of Wantagh where Steckler taught special education.

The school group had hiked to a popular geological site known as Devil's Hole, according to Captain Raymond Wood of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees preserved state forest land.. The site consists of a groove in the rock face through which a swirling, fast-moving body of water runs downward into a collecting pool. According to Russel Riggio, Executive Director of Special Education for Nassau County BOCES, Steckler sat down at the top of the flume, and somehow slipped and fell down it.

A Frost Valley YMCA staff person was on site and administered immediate first aid. Local emergency units were contacted right away. Rizzio said that Steckler was pronounced dead on site.

The cause of death has yet to be released, although the fact of Steckler's death as accidental has not been disputed. "Unfortunately, these kinds of accidents can happen," said Rizzio. "We've had a very long relationship with Frost Valley, and I will not recommend BOCES discontinue these trips. They are extremely well run, and this is the first time we've ever had a problem of this magnitude."

A private wake and memorial service were held on Long Island by Stickler's family.

The hike was part of a four-day residential school experience, conducted and hosted by Frost Valley YMCA of Claryville. Frost Valley is a year-round environmental education and family conference facility that hosts over 30,000 residential guests a year. They have been running environmental education programs for over 30 years.