French Tourist Swept to Death Over Yosemite Park Waterfall

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK —  A 27-year-old French tourist who took a dip in a river in scenic Yosemite National Park was swept to his death over a 600-foot waterfall, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

A friend of the victim told park rangers that the man went swimming Tuesday in a deep pool in the Merced River above the spectacular Nevada Falls. A swift current caught him and swept him over the edge of the waterfall, the witness said.

Park officials said a search for the man’s body had to be halted because of dangerous high waters. Rangers will continue to check the river banks regularly, park spokeswoman Kris Fister said.

The name of the victim, who was vacationing, was not being released until his family had been notified, Fister said.

There was no chance of surviving the plunge over the falls, Fister said, adding that signs are posted at the top of the falls warning visitors it is dangerous to go in or near the water.

The Merced River is running very high because the mountain snowpack, built up during heavy snowfalls last winter, is still melting, Fister said. Stones on the riverbed are very slick and it is easy to lose one’s footing.

Yosemite, famous for its majestic mountains and dramatic waterfalls, attracts 4 million visitors a year.