Visitor swept over Yosemite waterfall in deadly plummet identified

Rick Hurd, The Mercury News on Jun 24, 2026

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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Authorites on Wednesday identified a man and confirmed he died after going over the edge of a waterfall in Yosemite National Park last weekend.

The death of 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfonso happened after he went over the Nevada Fall, the National Park Service said. Search-and-rescue teams found Baires Alfonso on Sunday and took his body from the scene.

Nevada Fall is about 600 feet above the Merced River and accessible via the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail at the top of Vernal Fall.

The confirmation of Alfonso’s death came days after social media speculation began about a person going over the waterfall and authorities rescuing another person on June 20. Those claims began later that night.

The NPS in a statement Wednesday said they received reports about 11 a.m. that somebody had gone over the fall. NPS rangers and Yosemite search-and-rescue teams responded to the scene to conduct a search and then a recovery on Sunday when the body was found.

Several social media users posted reports that a female also had fallen into the lethal currents atop the river but grabbed a branch and was rescued. The agency did not confirm those details.

Several signs are posted along the trail leading to the waterfall trail warning against entering the water, no matter how calm the currents may seem. It is not known how Baires Alfonso ended up in the water. The NPS said they are still investigating.