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SC Man Dies Trying to Save Dog At Rainbow Falls In Western NC

The man was visiting the falls with his wife, said Cathy Dowd, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman. The waterfall is in a remote area about 1.5 miles from the Grassy Ridge parking lot in Gorges State Park.
A sign at Rainbow Falls warns visitors about strong currents. (Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY - A South Carolina man died on Saturday after being swept over Rainbow Falls while trying to save his dog, according to officials.

The man was visiting the falls with his wife, said Cathy Dowd, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.

"He was in the river about 100 feet away from the top of the falls when he slipped and was caught in the current, which carried him over the falls," Dowd said Saturday evening.

On Sunday, Lake Toxaway Fire Chief Carmon West identified the man as John Shaffer, 42, of Charleston. West said Shaffer had gone into the water to chase after his dog.

West said his team arrived first on the scene at 10:30 a.m. after reports of an accident.

Six agencies — about 35 people — were involved in the rescue-turned-recovery, which took 5.5 hours, he said. The man's body was recovered in the Horsepasture River. Firefighter Duane Allen said earlier Saturday that other departments on scene included Rosman, Connestee, Balsam Grove and Henderson County.

Dowd noted there are warning signs at the falls, telling visitors of slippery conditions and strong currents. West estimated the falls are 150 feet high.

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In July 2016, a woman fell 160 feet to her death at Rainbow Falls. Taylor Terrell, a Georgia morning news anchor, fell after being swept over the top of the falls. She was killed the day before her 25th birthday.

There were two deaths at waterfalls across Western North Carolina in 2017, including one in Transylvania County, and eight deaths in 2016, including six in Transylvania. There have been three waterfall-related fatalities in WNC so far this year.

West implored visitors to enjoy waterfalls from the bottom, rather than the top.

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