Hiker reportedly swept away at Vernal Falls in Yosemite

A search-and-rescue team was combing the waters beneath a Yosemite waterfall Tuesday after reports that at least one hiker had been swept over the falls.

Park authorities received several calls about 1 p.m. about the incident at Vernal Falls near Curry Village in Yosemite Valley, said Kari Cobb, a park spokeswoman.

“Our investigators are interviewing witnesses,” Cobb said late Tuesday. “We have search and rescue out there right now.”

The spring and early summer seasons have been especially deadly in the waters of Yosemite and elsewhere in Central California because of double the normal snow pack last winter compared with years past, creating strong runoff.

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-- Sam Quinones

Photo: Vernal Falls Credit: Associated Press