A jogger apparently fell to his death from the top of a Mississippi River bluff in Red Wing, Minn., authorities said Thursday.

The man's body was discovered by passersby about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday at the bottom of a 200-foot-high rock wall on the north side of Barn Bluff, police said.

The man's identity was being withheld pending the notification of his family.

Witnesses were attempting to resuscitate the man when police and fire personnel arrived, authorities said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The witnesses said the man had been seen jogging on top of Barn Bluff about 20 minutes earlier and had asked for directions off the bluff, police added.

The trail on the bluff's north side overlooks the Mississippi River and goes through abandoned limestone quarries. The trail's users are advised to take care, especially on wet days and in early spring.

Paul Walsh