Toddler, 3, dies after being swept down a 411ft waterfall and trapped under rapids during family visit

A THREE-YEAR-OLD child tragically died on Sunday evening after being swept over a waterfall. Police said the accident happened at Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, the highest waterfall east of the Rockies. The child was named as Nevaeh Jade Newswanger of Denver, Pennsylvania, according to a statement from Jackson County Sheriff’s office. Deputies told local […]

A THREE-YEAR-OLD child tragically died on Sunday evening after being swept over a waterfall.

Police said the accident happened at Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, the highest waterfall east of the Rockies.

WRDW

A three-year-old died on Sunday evening at Whitewater Falls, N.C.[/caption]

WRDW

The child was named as Nevaeh Jade Newswanger of Denver, Pennsylvania, according to a statement from Jackson County Sheriff’s office.

Deputies told local media that at 5.50pm it was reported that a child had fallen into the water at the top of the falls and had been carried away by the current.

Emergency responders from five counties rushed to the scene to search for the missing chile.

The rescue sadly proved futile as just before nightfall the three-year-old girl was found dead in the waterfall.

Local reports state her body was recovered in the early hours of Monday morning.

The waterfall is a popular tourist attraction that plunges 411 feet from its top.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the surrounding area is difficult to access with rugged terrain.

The toddler’s family is living temporarily in Oconee County, South Carolina, while working in the area, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Local officials said the deadly accident underscores “the dangers associated with visits to scenic areas such as Whitewater Falls.”

“With the onset of spring weather, we need to be reminded of the dangers associated with many scenic areas of the region such as waterfalls.

“While beautiful to view from a safe distance, venturing out closer to the falls for any reason brings tremendous danger.

“Always remain at a distance, follow safety precautions and warnings which are in place, and view waterfalls from designated viewing areas,” police added.

The Whitewater Falls accident comes only a week after a hiker fell 20ft to her death while on a Grand Canyon boating trip on the Colorado River. Margaret Osswald, 34, died just off the banks of the Colorado River.

A week before, another woman died while rafting on the Colorado River in Arizona. 68-year-old Mary Kelley, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, was on the ninth day of a multi-day rafting trip when she fell into the water near Hance Rapid, according to a statement from the National Parks Service.

Also in late March, a hiker fell to her death off central Utah’s “Bulls Head” cliff, plummeting up to 100 feet. Mother-of-four, Candice Thompson, 26, was walking with her husband Colton when she fell to her death. No foul play is suspected.