BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NC – A weekend outing turned fatal when a 61-year-old woman fell off a cliff near North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway. The incident occurred at the Glassmine Falls Overlook, a renowned scenic spot, as confirmed by the National Park Service.
Nancy Sampson, a resident of Greer, South Carolina, fell an estimated 150 feet down the cliff around noon on Saturday. Park rangers were alerted to the incident but found Sampson had already died from her injuries upon their arrival.
The recovery of Sampson’s body was a collaborative effort involving the Reems Creek Fire Department, park rangers from Mt. Mitchell State Park, and a trauma intervention program volunteer. The challenging operation required crews to rappel more than 100 feet down the cliff.
While the authorities have not revealed further details about the incident, the National Park Service has highlighted the beauty of Glassmine Falls Overlook. The overlook is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile route through the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina. Despite signage indicating the waterfall is over 800 feet high, the National Park Service asserts it is approximately 200 feet.