14-year-old dies after plunge over 80-foot waterfall, South Carolina officials say
A 14-year-old died after plummeting from an 80-foot waterfall in South Carolina, officials say.
Isaiah Oertel plunged over the edge of Laurel Fork Falls on Monday night, the Pickens County Coroner’s Office said in a news release.
Rescue crews responded to the waterfall, where the teenager’s body was later found, WYFF reported.
Isaiah “died from blunt force trauma,” according to Pickens County officials. The teenager is from North Port, Florida, roughly 85 miles south of Tampa, according to authorities.
Laurel Fork Falls is in Sunset, South Carolina, an area near the North Carolina border about 30 miles northwest of Greenville. Water cascades down an 80-foot rock face and into Lake Jocassee, according to the South Carolina Trails and Discover South Carolina websites.
It’s not the first time tragedy has struck at Laurel Fork Falls.
In March, a 25-year-old woman was on a camping trip when she fell from the top of the waterfall, The State previously reported. Officials said she was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
Pickens County deputies and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division are investigating the most recent death, according to the news release from Coroner Kandy C. Kelley.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
