Yosemite National Park visitor Freesia Gaul was taking a photo at the top of Nevada Fall on Saturday afternoon when she noticed something disturbing in the frame.
There was a man in the river. He had slid in upstream, potentially unaware of the power of the current — or the proximity of the thundering, 594-foot waterfall. The man did not appear to be a strong swimmer, so Gaul, a 20-year-old entrepreneur and former volunteer lifeguard, didn’t hesitate.
She dropped her camera and ran into the water fully clothed.
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“The number one rule in lifesaving is don’t create a second victim,” she told SFGATE in a phone call. “But when you see someone like that, when you make direct eye contact with someone who you know is going to go over, you can’t turn around.”
What happened next, as Gaul tells it, is like something out of a nightmare. She couldn’t save the man from going over the waterfall. She nearly lost her own life trying. One of the horrified onlookers managed to save Gaul by extending a walking stick into the river before she, too, was carried to the point of no return.
A group of visitors gather at the shore of the Merced River in California.
A group of visitors gather at the shore of the Merced River in California.Freesia Gaul
A Yosemite spokesperson confirmed to SFGATE on Monday that the National Park Service is investigating an incident involving a young man at Nevada Fall on June 20. “Emergency personnel responded to the incident, which remains under investigation. No additional information is available at this time,” the spokesperson said over email.
On Tuesday, Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, identified the young man as 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfaro and said that he died after going over Nevada Fall. She said that the Park Service is currently handling the investigation of the man’s death.
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While authorities have released few details about what happened to Alfaro, Gaul’s account offered a harrowing glimpse into just how dangerous the water is above Nevada Fall.
“It looked really nice and swimmable, which is kind of the scary part about it all,” she said. “People see calm water, but they don’t realize that under that there’s a huge undercurrent.”
The base of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif.
The base of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif.Freesia Gaul
Gaul, who spent five years lifesaving in Australia and grew up in a family that ran a wilderness tourism company in British Columbia, recognized the hazardous conditions immediately. Beneath the tranquil surface, she knew a powerful current was barreling toward the white water rapids above the waterfall.
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When she jumped into the river, Gaul initially hoped she could reach the man and pull him to shore. Instead, the force of the current dragged her underwater and across rocks smoothed by centuries of rushing water. The rapids were so turbulent that swimming became nearly impossible. As she fought to stay on the surface, Gaul said she realized she was no longer attempting a rescue. She was trying to survive.
“I basically thought the chances are zero,” she recalled. “I’m not making it out of here.”
Gaul remembers being dragged across the rocks but being unable to grasp them because they were too slippery. She expanded her surface area in an attempt to slow herself down, cutting her wrists and legs in the process, and swam hard when she could get closer to the bank.
Parkgoers watch as 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfaro floats in the Merced River in California.
Parkgoers watch as 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfaro floats in the Merced River in California.Freesia Gaul
A lull in the rapids finally came, and that’s when a bystander extended a walking stick into the water. Gaul grabbed for it but missed. She was back underwater, then back up, and there was one final chance to grab the stick before she would be pulled under a bridge and over the fall. She reached out and grabbed for her life. And as she clung to the stick, Gaul said she looked back and saw Alfaro go over the waterfall.
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“It felt like he had been almost a hand away,” she said, noting that she later replayed the moment in her head, wondering if there was anything more she could have done. “If I’d thought faster, did something better, maybe just in time ... I could have saved him.”
Running on adrenaline, Gaul said she didn’t really process the near-death experience, noting that her attention immediately shifted to Alfaro’s family, who were in shock at what had just unfolded. She stayed with them, she said, helping to gather his belongings and offering comfort as they prayed and tried to comprehend what had just happened.
About an hour passed before search-and-rescue personnel and a helicopter arrived, according to Gaul. By then, there was little doubt in her mind about the outcome.
A view of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif.
A view of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif.FreezeFrames/Getty Images/iStockphoto
As rescuers began their search, Gaul said she left the top of the waterfall and started hiking back down the trail with her friends. At a lower viewpoint, she said, she believed she spotted a location where Alfaro may have come to rest and reported the information to search-and-rescue personnel.
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Gaul said the incident underscored how deceptively dangerous the waters above Nevada Fall can appear to visitors. She said the powerful current, polished granite and proximity to the drop can leave little room for error.
“Once you get swept in, you can’t stand up,” Gaul said. “You’re fighting a mountain, and you’re just one swimmer.”
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