Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Yosemite Visitor Dies After Being Swept Over Nevada Fall

Recovered the next day, the body prompted a National Park Service investigation into how powerful currents and slick granite at Nevada Fall led to the fatal plunge.

FILE – In this March 28, 2016, file photo provided by the National Park Service, water flows over the Nevada Fall near Liberty Cap as seen from the John Muir Trail in Yosemite National Park, Calif.
Image
Yosemite National Park, Calif.
Image

Overview

  • Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, was swept into the Merced River and carried over Nevada Fall on Saturday, and officials publicly confirmed his identity on June 25.
  • A visitor, 20-year-old Freesia Gaul, unknowingly captured a 'final photo' of Alfaro in the river and then jumped in fully clothed in an attempted rescue before being pulled to safety by a bystander.
  • Park dispatch received reports at about 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and National Park Service rangers with Yosemite Search and Rescue recovered Alfaro’s body the following day.
  • Nevada Fall is roughly 594–600 feet high and has strong undercurrents and slick granite that have caused multiple deaths over the years, making water accidents a leading source of fatalities in Yosemite.
  • The incident has left the victim's family distraught and is likely to renew scrutiny of park warnings and rescue response as the National Park Service continues its investigation.