Hiker dies after falling off waterfall outlook in North Carolina

A hiker died after plunging off a waterfall overlook along the Blue Ridge parkway in North Carolina during the weekend, according to the US National Park Service.

Nancy Sampson of Greer, South Carolina, was sightseeing at the park at about 12.15pm on Saturday when she tumbled over a cliff around the Glassmine Falls overlook.

After being alerted about the 61-year-old woman’s fall, rescuers equipped with rappelling gear were able to find her about 150ft below. They confirmed she had died as a result of her injuries from the fall and recovered her body, the park service said in a statement.

Sampson’s husband, Robert Sampson, told the Guardian that he, her two sisters, her brother, and her nieces and nephews were all grieving deeply.

He said she was a retired human resources director who worked part-time at an Ingles market in Greer.

“She was eagerly waiting for me to retire,” Robert Sampson said in text messages to the Guardian. “She had a huge heart and a glowing smile that everyone loved.

“My heart is broken – I will miss her smile and kind heart.”

No other details about the circumstances surrounding Sampson’s fall were immediately available. However, information provided by the national park service says getting a good view of Glassmine Falls from the overlook in question is not particularly easy, in part because it is a “tall, skinny waterfall” across a valley.

“Seeing the waterfall requires a bit of luck … as this ephemeral falls only flows after periods of rain,” the description adds. “During drier weather it will slow to a trickle or even dry up completely.”

Visitors are told to bring a pair of binoculars if possible to maximize the chances of getting a good view of the waterfall.

The waterfall overlook is near mile post number 361 of the parkway. The popular tourist site is about 23 miles (37km) north-east of Asheville. It also sits about 85 miles (137km) north of Sampson’s home town.

Sampson’s death occurred after the summertime saw multiple hikers worldwide get killed amid various perilous conditions, including high-altitude falls as well as extreme heat.

In August, a woman died after falling off a mountain during a hike in Wyoming’s Grand Teton national park. That fatal fall occurred days after three people died on the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe, Scotland, one of Britain’s narrowest ridges. Heavy mist and fog were suspected factors leading to the three climbers’ deaths.

A porter died in July after falling during an ascent of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.

In June, a teenage boy died after falling ill as he hiked in infernal temperatures of 119F (48.3C) during a visit to south-west Texas’s Big Bend national park, officials said. The boy’s stepfather was then killed after he crashed his car while he desperately searched for help.

Yet another episode that same month involved a 71-year-old man who died in Death Valley national park between eastern California and Nevada. It is one of the world’s hottest places, and temperatures in the valley had reached at least 121F (49.4C) when the man died.

Meanwhile, in August, a 13-year-old boy survived falling 100ft from a ledge at the Grand Canyon. In an interview after receiving treatment for his injuries, the teen acknowledged having been “inches away from death”.