Woman Dies In Fall From Remote OC Waterfall, Man Rescued

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA -- A woman rock climbing in the Cleveland National Forest died Saturday when she fell about 200 feet from a waterfall, authorities said. The Orange County Fire Authority was called at 12:30 p.m. to the waterfall near the Blue Jay campground, which is just outside Caspers Wilderness Park, OCFA Capt. Paul Holaday told City News Service.

OCFA Helicopter Two picked up technical rescue personnel and their gear and dropped them at the top of the waterfall, where the man who was climbing with the woman was unhurt, Holaday said.

The rescuers assigned to the helicopter were lowered down to where the woman had died and carefully recovered her body, he said. It was taken to Caspers Park where the coroner was standing by.

The chopper then went back for the man, Holaday said. The mission was completed about 4:30 p.m.
The two climbers were very experienced, he said. The was the fifth waterfall from which they had repelled Saturday in the isolated part of Orange County.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department was investigating the fall, Holaday said.

--City News Service/Photo via Shutterstock