22-Year-Old Man Dies After Being Swept Over Nevada Fall

A 22-year-old man died after being swept over Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park last weekend, an incident witnessed by several visitors who described a frantic and ultimately unsuccessful rescue attempt. The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Josue Baires Alfaro.

According to the National Park Service, emergency personnel received reports around 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, that a person had gone over the waterfall. Rangers and search-and-rescue teams were immediately dispatched. Alfaro's body was recovered from below the falls later that same day.

One witness, Freesia Gaul, recounted the moments leading up to the tragedy. Gaul, a 20-year-old volunteer lifeguard, was having lunch with friends at the top of Nevada Falls when she took a photograph and noticed a man struggling in the water. She recognized he was caught in a strong undercurrent and, despite being fully clothed, entered the water in an attempt to save him.

Gaul described the current as overpowering, saying once you are swept in, you cannot stand up. Her own attempt nearly ended in disaster as she was pulled toward the edge and began hitting rocks. At the last second, a bystander extended a...