US Forest Service confirms deaths in Nantahala National Forest, 1 at waterfall, 1 in river
The U.S. Forest Service and other agencies have confirmed two July 23 accidents at Western North Carolina waterfalls, including one that resulted in a fatality.
Transylvania County Rescue Squad Chief Dale Whitlock told the Citizen Times that a man on a ledge "approximately 10 to 15 feet" up on Looking Glass Falls fell and was flown to Mission Hospital for trauma he suffered on July 23.
Whitlock and U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Cathy Dowd said they were not sure of the man's condition.
Dowd confirmed that another man — who has not been publicly identified— died in a separate incident at Secret Falls in Macon County in the Nantahala National Forest.
“A man died while swimming at Secret Falls on the Nantahala Ranger District, south of Highlands. He drowned swimming in the pool beneath the falls,” she said of the July 23 fatality.
More:Man drowns while swimming at Elk River Falls in Pisgah National Forest, sheriff says
She said the Macon County Sheriff's Office and coroner's office are the lead investigating agencies. Secret Falls is in Macon County. The Citizen Times reached out to the Sheriff's office for comment multiple times on the afternoon of July 26, but did not receive a response identifying the man who died.
On July 23, the Clarks-Chapel Fire and Rescue Department, based in the Macon County town of Franklin, announced via Facebook that one of its firefighters died in "a tragic accident" while enjoying "the great outdoors that he loved," on July 23. The department could not be reached July 26 or 27.
Related:3-year-old dies after being swept over Whitewater Falls
More:Beautiful - and dangerous: Can waterfall deaths be stopped?
Dowd also confirmed that the U.S. Forest Service is the lead investigating agency into the death of a different firefighter from Virginia who died June 25 on the Nantahala River, also in the Nantahala National Forest.
Alicia Monahan, 41, drowned in the Nantahala River while teaching a swift-water rescue class.
“Alicia’s untimely passing weighs heavy on our hearts,” Loy Senter, chief of Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, said in a department social media post. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her fiancé, her two sons, extended family, and many friends. Her coworkers continue to support the needs of the family while at the same time providing uninterrupted emergency services to the community Alicia loved and where she grew up and lived."
Monahan was training in the Patton’s Run segment of the Nantahala River, an area within a mile of the Macon-Swain County line, Nantahala Fire and Rescue Chief David Moore said. The river is an hour-and-a-half west of Asheville and is managed by Forest Service.
Dowd said the U.S. Forest Service is still investigating Monahan's death
The Nantahala and Pisgah national forests cover more than a million acres across the mountains of Western North Carolina. Together they are considered one of the busiest national forests in the country, with more than 5 million visitors annually who come for the hiking and mountain biking trails, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and many other natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Intern reporter Ryley Ober and Content Coach/Investigations Editor Karen Chávez contributed to this story.
Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Send tips to coehrli@citizentimes.com.