By Drew Teague

A former UK student died Saturday after falling nearly 140 feet off a cliff in Berea.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Paul Blanton said the incident seemed like an accident, but police are looking into 20-year-old Kimchi Son’s death.

A male companion was with Son during their hiking trip.

Blanton said Kentucky State Police received the call for assistance at 6:09 p.m. Saturday from Madison County Emergency Operations Center.

He said the Madison County coroner declared her deceased. Blanton was unsure if an autopsy had been performed already, but said it would be, as is the case with deaths like this.

A detective has been assigned to the case, Blanton said.

“At this time that’s what it seems like (an accident),” Blanton said. “A death investigation can take a long time, whether it would be six weeks or six months.”

Son, who was from Louisville, had been enrolled at UK last semester as a junior, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said. The last major listed for Son was architecture.

Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison was unable to be contacted as of Monday evening.