Officials: 61-Year-Old Hiker Falls to Her Death from Cliff in North Carolina

A 61-year-old hiker fell from a steep cliff and died Saturday at the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Crews responded to the area near the Glassmine Falls to assess the situation and find the hiker, Fox 7 reported Sunday.

In a news release Saturday, the National Park Service (NPS) said a report came in to its dispatchers around 12:00 p.m. about a woman who had fallen from a cliff at the Glassmine Falls Overlook at milepost 361.

“NPS Law Enforcement Rangers arrived on scene and confirmed the female, Nancy Sampson, 61 years old, of Greer, South Carolina, had succumbed to injuries from her fall,” the agency explained.

Crew members rappelled over 100 feet to find the hiker, the Fox article said.

“Her body was recovered by first responders from Reems Creek Fire Department, with assistance from Mt. Mitchell State Park Rangers and a Trauma Intervention Program of Western North Carolina volunteer,” the NPS news release continued.

In a social media post Saturday evening, the Reems Creek Fire Department shared photos taken at the scene, showing officials gearing up for the recovery and during the process. The images also show how steep the cliff is:

Social media users voiced their sadness over the loss and also praised the crews for their hard work.

“I’ve been there, not much room for error just gotta be careful at all off [sic] those lookouts. Condolences to the family,” one person wrote.

“Praying for all those involved. It’s a tough job y’all do,” someone else commented, while another said, “Thank you for all you do— prayers for all the heroes in the fire department, and for the family and friends of the woman who fell.”

The NPS said no additional details were available when it posted the news release.

A similar accident happened in December when a man hiking with his wife died when he fell from the summit of a mountain in New Hampshire, Breitbart News reported.

The couple had reached the peak of Mt. Willard and were taking photos. However, the woman heard her husband yell and saw him fall from a cliff, per the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division and Operation Game Thief.