The National Park Service remained mum on Tuesday about a reported incident in which a Yosemite National Park visitor fell at Nevada Fall.
SFGate reported on Monday that the park service confirmed a 23-year-old man fell on June 20. The unnamed source didn’t say if the man died in the fall, just that park staff were investigating the incident.
SFGate reported the incident following an unverified online discussion about the man’s possible death and another person’s rescue.
Reports of people caught in fast-moving water
Two Reddit users who claimed they were present at the incident reported hearing screams and seeing at least two people — a man and a woman — caught in the fast-moving water above Nevada Fall. The woman was rescued, said one person on Reddit, but the man couldn’t reach branches or people trying to help, and was pushed toward the fall.
At least three park visitors claimed they saw a helicopter circling the area soon after the man vanished from their view.
Emergency operations at Yosemite National Park said they were unable to confirm the incident, and calls and emails to the park and the National Park Service office in Washington, D.C., went unanswered on Monday or Tuesday morning.
Officers at the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office said deputies weren’t involved in rescue operations at the park on Saturday. Neither was the California Highway Patrol’s Fresno Office, according to CHP officers, who sometimes assist Yosemite with air operations when the park service’s helicopter is unavailable.
The popular trail to the top of Nevada Fall is a strenuous, 5.4-mile round-trip hike with a 2,000 foot ascent, according to the park service.
Water safety tips for Yosemite visitors
National Park Service staff offer these safety tips to people swimming, fishing or boating in Yosemite National Park.
For more safety information go to nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/safety.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: National Park Service quiet after SF Gate reports man fell at Yosemite
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Jessica Skropanic, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
