Man dies after fall from Kalahari balcony

HURON TWP. — A 25-year-old man died Tuesday after falling from a third-story balcony at Kalahari Resort, the sheriff's office reported.Derek Alexander Vancleave, 25, Chesapeake, Va., was pronounced dead after being taken to Firelands Regional Medical Center by the Huron Fire Department.A deputy who arrived at the scene found that Vancleave had an obvious head injury after landing on a sidewalk below the balcony. Kalahari paramedics and Huron Fire Department emergency medical personnel performed CPR on Vancleave but were unable to save him. All of the evidence so far indicates the incident was a tragic accident, said Chief Deputy Jared Oliver of the Erie County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating what happened. Oliver said the accident happened at 10:28 a.m. Vancleave fell from a outside of a room. Paramedics from the Huron Fire Department took him to Firelands Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Vancleave was at Kalahari with several other members of the Vancleave family.The report from the sheriff's office states that the deceased man suffered a massive head trauma when he was 14 and has since required full-time care. He has been prone to making impulsive decisions, once attempting to jump from a moving vehicle because he did not like a smell inside the car, family members told a deputy. The incident took place as family members were packing up to leave. The location of the accident was described as an area that is accessed by the south road to the complex, near construction that is currently taking place.The Erie County Sheriff's Office released recordings of two 911 calls received by the department's dispatchers.Listen to the calls below[toutembed=jvuwwk]In one call, a male voice says, "A guy fell off the balcony. He's not moving."After getting the location, the dispatcher immediately sent an ambulance to Kalahari.A second 911 call came from a woman who said, "We've got an accident over at the Kalahari. There's a young man who went over the balcony."The woman was told that an ambulance already was on the way. Kalahari spokeswoman Samantha Flynn issued a brief statement."We are deeply saddened by this morning's events. We are fully cooperating with the local authorities for anything they may need. As this incident resulted from a personal and private matter in a guest room, we will not be commenting further. Our thoughts and prayers are those affected," she said. Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Kalahari Resort in Huron Township on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.Kalahari Resort in Huron Township on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.