HIGHLANDS, N.C.— A dad and husband who fell from North Carolina waterfalls on Saturday has been found dead near the falls on Sunday afternoon, sources say.
The man, who fell from Dry Falls near Highlands, was found around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Macon County Emergency Management said.
The man fell from the falls into the Cullasaja River and was found Sunday by the Asheville Dive Team about 30 feet from the bottom of the falls, according a source with a local fire department on the scene assisting in the search.
Macon County Emergency Management said the victim was 45-year-old Sean Kasey of Villa Rica, Ga.
Kasey, who was married and had a daughter, was originally from Pleasant Garden and graduated from Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, according to information from his Facebook profile.
Kasey apparently fell from a walkway near Dry Falls into the Cullasaja River, Macon County Emergency Management said.
“Higher than average water conditions, gusty winds and near freezing temperatures made searching difficult,” said Robbie Forrester, Assistant Chief of Highlands Fire and Rescue.
Highlands Fire and Rescue, Macon County EMS, and the US Forest Service were called to the river around noon on Saturday, according to Macon County Emergency Management.
Teams searched the river from Dry Falls to Turtle Pond Road on Saturday but were unable to find the man, who was not identified.
The search was called off due to darkness, dangerous water conditions, and rough terrain.— WSPA-TV contributed to this report