Hiker Tragically Falls 100 Feet To Death As Friends Look On Helplessly

A South Carolina man was hiking with his friends Saturday, when he tragically slipped, and fell 100 feet to his death. Sadly, his friends could only watch him fall as they were unable to catch him or rescue him from the fall.

Aaron Post, 28, fell from near the top of the waterfall in North Carolina, causing him to slide down the face of the rock and hit the water. The accident happened at around 10:40 a.m.

The call for assistance was issued to over 50 rescuers in order to assist in the retrieval of the young man. The responding teams included not only EMS, but the North Carolina HART team that assisted in the helicopter transport. Several respondents had to descent down the falls in order to reach the victim due to the tricky landscape.

He was then airlifted to St. Luke’s hospital in critical condition. The entire rescue mission took over five hours to complete. Unfortunately, doctors pronounced Post dead shortly after due to the severity of his injuries and unsuccessful resuscitation effort.

George Hugg was hiking with Post when the tragedy struck. “I turned around and I just watched him slide down the waterfall,” news reports quoted him as saying.

Big Bradley Falls is located in Polk County in Saluda, North Carolina. It is neatly tucked into a compact gorge located on Cove Creek. Although known for its natural beauty, the falls are described as extremely steep and rugged. The hiking trail is considered slightly dangerous and families are warned to not bring their small children to the creek.

Post is not the first hiker to have lost his life in the area. Several individuals have died--and more sustained injuries -- here earlier. In 2016, Cody Barra survived a 60 foot fall from the waterfall. In 2017, Konstants Healy lost his balance while hiking as well.

The Henderson County Rescue Squad said in a statement: “Although the outcome is not what anyone wants; everyone worked together as a team to make sure this patient had the best care and extraction they could. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends during this difficult time.”