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Young Visitor Dies After Being Swept Over Nevada Fall in Yosemite. Park

Park officials say a recovery was completed and the incident is under investigation while eyewitness accounts detail a failed rescue and fast, deceptive currents.

Overview

  • Rangers and Yosemite search-and-rescue teams responded after reports of someone going over Nevada Fall, with the incident occurring on Saturday, June 20, and the person's body recovered later that day.
  • The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Josue Baires Alfaro and said he died after being carried over the roughly 594–600-foot Nevada Fall.
  • Multiple witnesses and social-media posts described a group swept by the Merced River current, a woman who was rescued, and visitor Freesia Gaul saying she attempted a rescue but saw the man go over the brink.
  • The National Park Service has confirmed it is investigating the June 20 incident but has released few details and officials say the probe is ongoing.
  • Nevada Fall is known for powerful currents and slick granite, water accidents are a leading cause of death in Yosemite, and this event could renew calls for stronger warnings and visitor caution at popular river edges.