Man Tries to Rescue Friend at Waterfall, Both Die

A man who apparently slipped from the top of a waterfall in North Carolina is dead along with his would-be rescuer. Authorities say Joseph Hopkins, 23, and Davis Zinsenheim, 22, were visiting a resident of the Lake Toxaway area from Georgia on Tuesday when they decided to explore a waterfall on the property. Authorities say three people were at the top of a waterfall when Hopkins fell some 40 feet onto a ledge. Zinsenheim tried to help his friend but slipped and fell an estimated 150 feet to his death, reports the Asheville Citizen Times.

Police received a call around 7:30pm, and it took 37 crew members about four hours to bring up both men, reports WYFF. Firefighters tell WLOS that a 100-foot ladder was used to get rescuers to the top of the falls. They then rappelled down to Hopkins and used a basket to lower him to a waiting truck. He was taken to a hospital but died on Wednesday. Zinsenheim was dead at the scene. On Monday, a 20-year-old was critically injured after falling from another North Carolina waterfall, this one in Polk County. (More North Carolina stories.)