Yosemite Visitor Dies After 594-Foot Nevada Fall Sweep as NPS Investigates June 20 Incident
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 24
Yosemite Visitor Dies After 594-Foot Nevada Fall Sweep as NPS Investigates June 20 Incident
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 24
Summary
Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, was confirmed dead after being swept over Yosemite’s 594-foot Nevada Fall on June 20, turning an earlier missing-person investigation into a fatality case.
Park officials said emergency crews responded after strong current in the Merced River pulled people near the top of the waterfall; earlier witness accounts said Alfaro was swept away as a woman was rescued.
Search and recovery operations were carried out below the fall, with hikers on Mist Trail reporting emergency responders moving a body bag down the granite steps.
Nevada Fall has long been considered hazardous because of slippery rock and powerful currents, and Yosemite has recorded previous deadly accidents there, including a 2018 fall.