Charleston man tries to rescue dog at NC waterfall, dies

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. — Authorities say a South Carolina man died while trying to rescue his dog at a North Carolina waterfall.

News outlets report 42-year-old John Shaffer died Saturday after going over Rainbow Falls in the Pisgah National Forest, just outside Gorges State Park in the western part of the state.

Lake Toxaway Fire and Rescue Chief Carmon West says Shaffer was carried over the falls when he jumped into the water to rescue his dog. Crews searched for five hours before recovering his body Saturday afternoon.

Shaffer’s dog has not yet been found.

West says it was the first death at Rainbow Falls since 2016, when a 24-year-old TV news anchor from Georgia, Taylor Terrell, fell 185 feet from the falls. Terrell was wading in the stream that flows over Rainbow Falls when she lost her footing.

Cox Media Group