Waterfall deaths lead Forest Service to make changes at Rainbow Falls

Karen Chávez | The Citizen-Times

Show Caption Hide Caption Deaths prompt change at Rainbow Falls The US Forest Service has made changes to the trail at Rainbow Falls after two deaths this summer.

Through July 4 there have been six waterfall-related deaths in WNC, one of the deadliest in recent history.

Personnel might be stationed at the falls during high visitation times such as holidays and weekends.

Casey is considering a closure order at the falls, which would mean fines for those crossing barriers.

SAPPHIRE - Multiple waterfall-related deaths across Western North Carolina, including two at Rainbow Falls in less than two weeks, have prompted U.S. Forest Service officials to take action to prevent more fatal accidents.

On July 4, H’Money Siu, 16, of Charlotte died after falling from the top of Rainbow Falls, a popular recreation spot in the Transylvania County area of Pisgah National Forest. Her 11-year-old sister, who tried to grab Siu, was safely rescued, according to the Forest Service.

MORE: Teen who died at Rainbow Falls identified

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Rangers say there are several warning signs at the Gorges State Park visitor center, at the trailhead and at the viewing area fence above the waterfall warning people about the dangers of climbing on waterfalls.

On June 23, John Shaffer, 42, of Charleston, South Carolina, was swept over the falls while trying to save his dog.

On July 21, 2016, Taylor Terrell, a Georgia morning news anchor, also fell about 160 feet to her death from the top of Rainbow Falls, one day before her 25th birthday.

MORE: Georgia news anchor dies at Rainbow Falls

All three entered the top of the falls at the same place – an open, inviting looking section with large rocks – before falling to their deaths, said Dave Casey, Pisgah District Ranger.

But there is no closure order specifically prohibiting people from entering the Horsepasture River or the rocks above the falls, he said.

That might change.

Safety plan so far not working?

Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority launched a public safety campaign in 2016 after six waterfall-related deaths that year by, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, NC State Parks, DuPont State Recreational Forest and local emergency management agencies, mostly focusing on public education through social media, websites and posters and signage.

Through July 4 of this year, however, there have been six waterfall-related deaths across the mountains, making it one of the deadliest in recent history.

The deaths have prompted local public land managers and tourism agencies to take more drastic actions.

Casey, who oversees the busiest section of the national forests in North Carolina, set into motion a waterfall safety plan after the June 23 fatality, working with personnel from Gorges State Park, Lake Toxaway Fire Department, Transylvania County EMS and the county TDA.

RELATED: Waterfall rescues on the rise across WNC

“We’re taking a concerted effort to create a more structured and thorough plan on how we approach waterfall safety. We’ve identified 12 waterfalls, as well as Looking Glass Rock and John Rock, places that can be accessed by our trails, where we’re inviting people up to these places where there’s a hazard,” Casey said.

He doesn’t have a timeline for implementation, but said the plan should be completed this week and then vetted internally. Rainbow Falls is getting top priority.

The 1.5-mile trail starts on Gorges State Park property, where a visitor center and trailhead kiosk have warning signs about waterfall dangers. About halfway down, the steep trail enters Forest Service property. Signs along the way also warn of dangers in English and in Spanish, saying “Death and Serious Injuries have occurred here.”

RELATED: Which WNC waterfall is the deadliest?

In all, Casey said, there are 11 warning signs from the park to Rainbow Falls, and then a short hike upstream to Turtleback Falls, where there have been fatalities in past years.

On July 11, one week after the teenage girl’s death, the Forest Service went to work on the trail, making the following changes:

Felled several dead or dying pines and hardwood trees across the opening at the top of Rainbow Falls to deter people from entering.

Place a site-specific warning sign at this natural “pinch point,” after visitors have seen Rainbow Falls and right before they approach the top of the waterfall. The sign says in part: “Many People Have Died from being swept over Rainbow Falls. Two since June 2018. Entering the river anywhere upstream of this point can be fatal.”

Blazed the entire National Forest Trail from the Gorges State Park boundary to the terminus of the trail at Turtleback with bright orange paint. There are warning signs in multiple places along the trail to stay on the marked trail but many of the user-created trails leading to hazards look similar to the official forest system trail, Casey said. Blazing the trail will help keep people on the correct, safe path.

Installed additional signage on the approach to Turtleback Falls to reinforce the same message communicated downstream. The red sign shows a person falling off a waterfall and warns of “Slippery rocks, strong currents and hazardous drop.”

Casey said the waterfall safety group has also discussed the idea of having personnel stationed at the falls during high visitation times, such as holidays and weekends. An official on-site presence would most likely lead to fewer injuries and accidents, he said.

“But with 12 permanent full-time employees for 170,000 acres of land and numerous waterfalls, the practicality of stationing any one ranger at any one waterfall is not realistic,” he said.

Enlisting the help of volunteers or seasonal employees is another possibility. Gorges State Park has a naturalist who leads hikes to the falls on the weekends and will do “pop-up” programs on waterfall safety. This naturalist is now off duty, returning in August.

Casey is also considering enacting a closure order at the falls, which would mean fines for anyone crossing the barriers.

“A closure order is on the table as a possibility. I’m not minimizing the fact that we’re talking about people’s lives, but in general when we’re talking about closure orders and inhibiting people’s use of their national forests, we are cautious about doing that and making sure it’s the right decision before that’s done,” Casey said.

Bobby Cooper, EMS director for Transylvania County, said he can’t keep track of how many calls local agencies respond to at Rainbow falls for everything from falls, broken bones, heart problems and inability to walk back out, but he said there were at least three 911 calls this past weekend.

He hopes the latest safety push, extra signage and tree barriers will be a wake up call.

“If we can keep one person from going to the top of the falls and becoming involved in an accident, I think it’s definitely worth it,” Cooper said.

Brannon Bryson, advanced ranger at Gorges State Park, said just in the last week he has noticed a change in visitor behavior.

“I’m feeling positive about some of the changes. I’ve talked to some parents who tell me the new signage has deterred them from letting their kids get in the river.”

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