Every year these losers are weeded out Darwin style. Now a rescuer has been killed trying to find the stupid son of a bitch's body. Let them rot...
Rescue squad member dies during search for drowning victim at Jackson County waterfall
Long-time member of Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad falls to death during search
WYFF 4Updated: 6:45 PM EDT May 5, 2020
JACKSON COUNTY, N.C. —
A search for a Western North Carolina hiker who had fallen into the water near a waterfall led to the death Tuesday of a long-time member of the rescue squad trying to to find him, Jackson County officials said.
Jackson County Public Information Officer Kelly Donaldson said the search for the hiker began Monday night when Emergency Management officials received a call at about 9 p.m. from Transylvania County.
They reported the hiker had fallen into the water at the base of Whitewater Falls.
The Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad and other responders worked to locate the victim until storms came in around 1 a.m., Donaldson said.
Due to safety concerns from the weather and difficult terrain, the search was temporarily suspended, according to Donaldson.
The search team returned to the area about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Donaldson said.
Jackson County Emergency Management, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department, a swift water rescue dive team from Henderson County, along with other public safety departments from surrounding areas joined the search.
The victim was identified Chandler Manuel, 24, from Rockwell, and his family was notified, Donaldson said.
During the search, a rugged remote high line operations repelling team was searching for Manuel.
One of the team members, whose name was not released, fell from a rope during search operation and did not survive the fall, Donaldson said.
His body was retrieved from the bottom of the falls at 4:15 p.m. by a National Guard N.C. Heart helicopter team, according to Donaldson.
Ten other search team members were below the falls, while eight others were on their way down to the falls at the time of the incident, Donaldson said.
All 18 of these members survived safely, according to Donaldson.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations is investigating the incident, which is standard when a death occurs in the line of duty, Donaldson said.
The search for Manuel has been suspended for the night, but will resume first thing in the morning on Wednesday, according to Donaldson.
Bookmarks