Park rangers are on the search for a Yosemite swimmer that went missing after going off a 600-foot waterfall.
Aleh Kalman, 19, was swimming neat the Nevada Fall in California's Yosemite National Park when he suddenly got caught in a current in the Merced River. Kalman was about 150 feet from the edge of the waterfall when they got caught in the quick current. The Sacramento resident was visiting the park with his church group, CNN reports. Park rangers don't believe the outlook is too good, CNN reports.
"We believe it's impossible to survive a fall like that," park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said.
According to Cobb, it is not illegal to swim above the 594-foot waterfall but visitors are given warnings and there are signs surrounding the area to make them aware of the falls.
Rangers set off on foot and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew were searching for Kalman by land and air on Saturday. Their search efforts were cut short when the sun went down and resumed on Sunday. The rangers were joined by three dog teams.
When Kalman went over the falls, the Merced River, which leads into the Nevada Fall, was moving at 500 cubic feet per second. The parks service called it "a very swift and powerful spring flow of water." The water was flowing even faster on Sunday at 650 CFS and the water temperature is only in the low 50's.
"Although the park received only 50 percent of normal snow pack, rivers within the park continue to run at high levels this time of the year," the service said. "Additionally, the water remains extremely cold and will be throughout the year."
This isn't the first time someone was swept over a Merced River waterfall. In 2011, three people went over the 317-foot Vernal Fall.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
