Photo: Mario Perez Pereira // Unsplash
Reports of a death at Yosemite were confirmed on Thursday involving a 23-year-old park visitor at Nevada Fall. The man fell into the Merced River and was swept over a 600-ft waterfall after a good samaritan attempted to save him.
That bystander, Freesia Gaul, was taking photos when she noticed Josue Baires Alfaro in frame. Baires Alfaro had slid into the Merced River upstream, and Gaul described to SFGATE that she noticed he was not a strong swimmer. The former volunteer lifeguard immediately jumped into the river to help him.
“The number one rule in lifesaving is don’t create a second victim,” she told SFGATE. “But when you see someone like that, when you make direct eye contact with someone who you know is going to go over, you can’t turn around.”
Gaul was unable to save Baires Alfaro and quickly found herself in danger too, as the current pulled her downstream and toward the waterfall. Another bystander was able to save Gaul by extending a walking stick into the water and pull her ashore. She told SFGATE it was approximately another hour before search and rescue personnel and a helicopter arrived on the scene.
“It looked really nice and swimmable, which is kind of the scary part about it all,” she said. “People see calm water, but they don’t realize that under that there’s a huge undercurrent.”
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, June 20 and has been confirmed by a Yosemite spokesperson, however, details from National Parks Service (NPS) officials have been scarce.
“The National Park Service is investigating an incident involving a 23-year-old male at Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park on June 20, 2026. Emergency personnel responded to the incident, which remains under investigation. No additional information is available at this time,” the NPS said in a statement.
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victim’s identity to the Fresno Bee.
