The Whitewater Falls area was closed to the public at the time, including a closed gate, parking lot and facilities. More: 28-year-old man falls to his death at Big Bradley Falls in Polk County. However, the hiking trail to below the falls was open. An 18-year-old Clemson freshman who was hiking with friends was swept away over a 400-foot Whitewater River waterfall, the Oconee County Emergency Services says. A lower overlook is located at the bottom of 154 wooden steps. To experience these breathtaking falls up-close-and-personal, take the paved ¼ mile walkway to the upper overlook. While well-known rapids like Jaw Bone and Seven Foot Falls are obvious choices for best whitewater rapids on Georgia’s scenic Chattooga River (made famous in the movie Deliverance), Charles Conner from Nantahala Outdoor Center thinks Bull Sluice deserves the official title. Accidental deaths from whitewater rafting and kayaking accidents become the focus of news stories in any given year when such deaths spike. JONA “JO” Freeman age 49 of Whitewater passed away peacefully Thursday, December 10, 2020, at Agrace Hospice Care in Janesville.. She was born on September 20, 1971 in Fort Atkinson, the daughter of Thomas and Judy (Christenson) Schopen. By Nathaniel Whelan on March 23 2020 in Society. Stephanie Hideko Hauge, 22, of Fergus Falls, passed away, Saturday, December... View Details; Norman Skarstad, December 12, 2020. The story of a kind and generous man can never be fully written. Thirteen people have died at Whitewater Falls in Nantahala National Forest since 1995. The legacy... View Details; Clarence Hess, December 11, 2020. Brevard County, N.C. officials said the No. In 2006, for example, CNN wrote an article stating that there were 25 whitewater rafting deaths in 12 states in the first eight months of that year, implying that perhaps these deaths were the result of lax regulation. Clarence Hess, 86, of Fergus Falls, died Friday, December 11, 2020, at... View Details In 1995 a … There have been proactive steps at Whitewater Falls over the years to reduce the number of deaths and accidents. Whitewater Falls is a stunningly beautiful, multi-drop cascading waterfall near Cashiers, NC and the South Carolina state line. It’s a gorgeous waterfall, and well worth the half-mile (round trip) hike to view a 400+ foot cascade. More energetic hikers can continue down the half-mile spur trail that drops 600 feet in elevation to the Whitewater River and Foothills Trail. She graduated from Whitewater High School in 1990 and Blackhawk Technical College in 1992. 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