A woman lost her life while attempting to assist a teenager who had slipped at the popular Three Sisters Falls hiking trail in Southern California.
The tragic event occurred in Descanso’s unincorporated area, located in the Cleveland National Forest, on the morning of Thursday, June 8. The victim, Sarah Louise Crocker, 48, was hiking with four teenagers, who were referred to as “family and family friends” by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.
While the group was navigating near the middle pool of the falls, one teenager slipped. Crocker tried to help her but tragically lost her footing, resulting in both of them falling over the waterfall into the pool below. They both suffered serious injuries.
Despite witnesses providing immediate aid, Crocker could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner concluded that her death was due to multiple blunt force injuries and drowning, classifying it as an accidental death. The teenager, critically injured, was airlifted to a hospital nearby.
Three Sisters Falls, located in eastern San Diego County, is famous for its challenging terrain and features three large waterfalls surrounded by mountainous landscape. As per Lieutenant Jeff Ford, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, injuries and rescue operations are relatively commonplace, but fatalities are rare. Most incidents typically occur during the summer and are often related to heat exhaustion or minor injuries.
