Former University of Kentucky student who became physical therapist dies in Maui cliff fall

A 37-year-old Kentucky mother died after falling from a cliff in Hawaii Thursday.

On social media, many relatives and friends identified the woman as Nicole Redmon Baker, who leaves behind a young daughter. Her husband, Lonnie Baker, died in 2017 at 35 years old, according to an obituary.

Nicole fell 75 feet from a cliff in Maui while climbing from the shoreline around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Maui Now. CPR was being performed on her by bystanders when paramedics arrived, Hawaii News Now reported.

She was airlifted to an area along a nearby highway and lifesaving efforts continued, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to KITV 4 Island News.

The area Baker was climbing, called Chutes and Ladders, is a “fun but dangerous adventure,” according to Outdoor Adventure Blog TravelToms.com. Other people have previously fallen to their deaths from the same cliff, Maui News reported.

Lisa Gibson Berry wrote in a Facebook comment that Baker went to the area every year and it was not her first time climbing there.

Another friend of Baker’s, Jessica Lynn, also wrote on Facebook that Baker had visited Maui frequently with her husband.

“This was a healing vacation for her and her small child. RIP Nicole,” Lynn wrote. “We will take care of Carson. Hug Lonnie in heaven and know everything will be OK here.”

According to her Facebook, Baker is from Middlesboro and lives in Louisville. She studied physical therapy at University of Kentucky and was a physical therapist at Signature Healthcare, she said on Facebook.

Her late husband was also a physical therapist, his obituary states.

Lori Brown Copeland called Baker “a sweet soul” and Bobby Metts, Baker’s first cousin, asked for prayers and said “we have lost a beautiful soul and heaven has gained another angel.” Metts said Baker’s daughter is safe with close friends.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 3:40 PM.