Rescue squad member dies during search for Rowan County man at NC waterfall

WHITEWATER FALLS, N.C. — A veteran member of the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad died Tuesday while searching for a Rowan County hiker who fell into the water near Whitewater Falls in North Carolina the night before.

On Monday, Jackson County Emergency Management got a call around 9 p.m., saying 24-year-old Chandler Manuel, from Rockwell, had fallen into the water at the base of Whitewater Falls while hiking the Foothills Trail with his brother and a few others.

The GCRS and other responders worked through the night to find Manuel until storms rolled in around 1 a.m., forcing crews to temporarily suspend the search.

Rescuers returned around 9 a.m. and, during the search, one of the longtime members of the rescue squad, 71-year-old Eldon Jamison, fell from a rope and died.

His body was recovered from the bottom of the falls at 4:15 p.m. by a National Guard N.C. Heart helicopter team.

Jamison spent more than 40 years with the GCRS and held multiple offices during his time, including Captain and Assistant Captain. He was one of six original members of the Glenville-Cashiers EMS in 1984. He is a widower and father of three.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations is investigating the incident, which is standard when someone dies in the line of duty.

Multiple crews continued to search for Manuel, and officials said his body was found Wednesday.

“The body of missing hiker, Chandler Manuel, 24 of Rockwell, N.C., was located today, Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at the bottom of Whitewater Falls, where he was last seen on Monday, May 4. His body was extracted successfully by a National Guard N.C. Heart helicopter at 3:45 p.m. this afternoon,” authorities said.

The Whitewater Falls area was closed to the public when he fell into the water, including a closed gate, parking lot and facilities. However, the hiking trail to below the falls was open.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.

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