Child Dies After Being Swept Away In North Carolina Waterfall

JACKSON COUNTY, NC — A 3-year-old girl was found dead in Jackson County after she fell into the water at Whitewater Falls and went over the waterfall Sunday evening, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Patch.

Nevaeh Jade Newswanger fell into the water around 5:50 p.m., and authorities found her body trapped in an area near the falls just before nightfall. She was recovered from the waterfall around 1 a.m. Monday, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Nevaeh is from Denver, Pennsylvania, and was visiting the area with family, who are residing in Oconee County, South Carolina, and working in the area.

First responders from Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood and Henderson counties in North Carolina and Oconee County in South Carolina assisted with the search.

"First and foremost our prayers are with the Newswanger family as they grieve the loss of this precious young child," Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall said in a statement.

Hall also warned of the dangers of scenic areas such as waterfalls and urged people visiting them to keep a safe distance away, follow warnings and precautions and view waterfalls from designated viewing areas.

Whitewater Falls is located in southwest North Carolina less than a mile from the South Carolina border. The falls are on the Whitewater River, which flows south into Lake Jocasse in South Carolina.