Whitewater Falls accident leads to death of child

On Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 5:50pm the Jackson County Emergency Management 911 Center received a
call reporting a 3-year old child, visiting Whitewater Falls with her family, had been swept away in the
water at the top of the falls and the current had carried the child over the falls.
Emergency responders from Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Henderson, and Oconee counties were
dispatched to the falls and rescue operations to locate the child were initiated. Just prior to night fall on
Sunday rescuers located the child deceased and entrapped in an area of the water fall. Recovery
operations throughout the night and early morning led to the child being recovered from the waterfall
around 1:00am on Monday, April 11, 2022.
The child has been identified as Nevaeh Jade Newswanger, age 3, of Denver, Pennsylvania. The
Newswanger family has been residing in Oconee County, South Carolina while working in the area.
Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall offers his condolences for the family and cautions others about the
dangers associated with visits to scenic areas such as Whitewater Falls. “First and foremost our prayers
are with the Newswanger Family as they grieve the loss of this precious young child. With the onset of
spring weather we need to be reminded of the dangers associated with many scenic areas of the region
such as waterfalls. While beautiful to view from a safe distance, venturing out closer to the falls for any
reason brings tremendous danger. Always remain at a distance, follow safety precautions and warnings
which are in place, and view waterfalls from designated viewing areas.”