3 Hikers Swept Over Yosemite Waterfall, Presumed Dead
2009 photo of Vernon Falls in Yosemite National Park, where three hikers were swept to their deaths this week. (AP Photo/The Tahoe Tribune, Jonah M. Kessel)
Three hikers are presumed dead after falling over the edge of a waterfall at Yosemite National Park on Tuesday. The incident took place at Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park.
Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto, Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock and Ramina Badal, 21, of Modesto were on a day trip to Yosemite when they decided to jump a guardrail and take a dip about 25 feet from the precipice of Vernal Falls, according to park officials.
Witnesses along the popular day-hiking trail called to the trio to get out of the water but the current swept them over the 317-foot waterfall.
A search-and-rescue operation was called off Wednesday morning by park officials as teams continued to scour the Merced River to recover the bodies.
It's been a deadly summer at the park as rivers and streams have been at high levels due heavy winter snowfall. Two Whittier men were killed when high waters swept them into Hetchy Hetch Reservoir on June 29 and a six hiker was killed at Yosemite this summer after slipping and falling into the river along the Mist Trail in May.
