CHESTERVILLE – A 20-year-old West Farmington man died Wednesday night after slipping on wet rocks and falling 80 feet off a cliff by Sand Pond. It was an accidental death, police said.

Benjamin Paytas was pronounced dead at the scene, Franklin County Sheriff’s Cpl. Nathan Bean stated in a press release.

The call to the Sheriff’s Department was at 8:42 p.m. Wednesday. Paytas’ body was removed by the Farmington Fire Rescue High Angle Rescue team just after 1 a.m. Thursday, Chief Terry Bell said.

“It has been determined that the fall was caused by slippery rocks from several days of rain,” Bean stated. “Paytas attempted to retrieve an item that had fallen 2 feet down from the top, on a small rock that was sticking out of the face of the cliff.”

Jonathan McCabe, 22, of Farmington was with Paytas when he fell and provided useful information, Bean said.

Bell said Chesterville Fire/First Responders found a way to get down closer to the scene at a camp. There was also a path that led down, he said, but it was very steep.

The rescue crew used ropes and harnesses to get to the body, which was then put on a Stokes litter and removed, Bell said.

Along with Bean, Cpl. Stephen Charles, Deputy Ken Charles, Maine State Police and Warden Service, LifeStar Ambulance, Chesterville Fire/First Responders, Farmington Fire Rescue and New Sharon High Angle Rescue crews responded to the scene.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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