A 61-year-old woman died after falling roughly 150 feet from a steep cliff on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Authorities received a call Saturday afternoon about a woman who had fallen down a cliff at Glassmine Falls Overlook, located on the scenic National Parkway, the National Park Service said in a news release. The high overlook attracts visitors for its view of a skinny waterfall -- Glassmine Falls -- across the valley, according to the park service.
Rescuers found the woman roughly 150 feet below the overlook, the release said. She was identified as Nancy Sampson of Greer, South Carolina.
Crews from the Reems Creek Fire Department, who responded to the call, rappelled down more than 100 feet and located the hiker, the department said in a Facebook post. The hiker died from her injuries, the department said.
A family member was on scene and "distraught" in the aftermath of the woman's fatal fall, the Trauma Intervention Program of Western North Carolina said in a statement.
"The distraught family member lives out of state and was alone following the tragic incident," their statement said. "The TIP volunteer went above and beyond in supporting him at the scene and helping him get back down the mountain and connect with friends who could support him after this tragic loss."
The National Park Service did not offer further details about the incident.
Glassmine Falls is roughly 25 miles northeast from Asheville, North Carolina.
