Nebo man, Charles Adam Muzic, died Saturday after falling 75 feet down Upper Catawba Falls while hiking with his friends.
According to McDowell deputies, Muzic, 22, of Nebo, NC., was hiking with his girlfriend and friend near the top of the falls Saturday afternoon when the tragic accident occurred.
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“Muzic was sitting on a rock at the edge of the falls. His girlfriend reports that she turned her back to do something, heard a noise, turned back around and Muzic wasn’t there. The girlfriend hiked back down the falls, saw that Muzic was injured and called 911,” said Public Information Assistance Richelle Bailey, of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
Crews accessed the remote location from the gated community of Catawba Falls Preserve off Mount Hebron Road in the Crooked Creek community of Old Fort. Rescuers found Muzic at the bottom of the falls in the water, according to reports, and it took nearly two hours to carry him out of the steep terrain.
MAMA emergency helicopter transported Muzic to Asheville where he was pronounced dead shortly after.
Muzic leaves behind a 10-month-old son.
The U.S. Forest Service is investigating.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends at this difficult time.