A tragic accident in Yosemite National Park has claimed the life of a 22-year-old man who was swept over the nearly 600-foot Nevada Fall. The incident happened last Saturday when the man entered the water upstream from the powerful waterfall. A witness, who told SFGate she is a former volunteer lifeguard, saw him being carried by the swift current and immediately jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue him. Her effort nearly turned deadly as she was also pulled toward the edge of the falls. Another bystander extended a walking stick into the rushing water, allowing her to grab hold and avoid being swept over the waterfall herself. The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim on Monday and said he had been visiting the park with family members at the time of the accident. Authorities later recovered his body from the water. The incident remains under investigation.
