Popular California Waterfall Suddenly Dangerous After Second Visitor Dies in as Many Weeks

The body of a missing hiker was pulled from a pool of a popular Southern California waterfall just weeks after a woman fell to her death trying to save a teen who slipped, according to reports. 

A team of volunteer divers found the body Monday underwater in the middle pool of the Three Sisters Falls in the Cleveland National Forest just north of San Diego, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

The man had been last seen in the same vicinity on Friday, and officials from a number of agencies conducted the search throughout the weekend.

The water had been too dangerous for divers to search until Monday, Fox 5 of San Diego reported. 

“Visibility alone was bad, on top of the strength of the current. A few factors, including the closing of a dam upstream, have helped bring the flow of water down," Lt. William Amavisca of the sheriff's department told the station in a statement.

"A lot of the debris in the water has settled, making it easier to see, but with that being said, it’s actually going to still be a difficult dive for our divers,” it added. The medical examiner's office is working to identify the man and the cause of death.

On June 8, Sarah Crocker, a 48-year-old mother of two, fell to her death when she tried to save a teenager she was hiking with who slipped at the edge of the waterfall.

The US Forest Service says the park has gained in popularity but the trails can be treacherous, especially at the Three Sisters Falls site.

"This often crowded, yet challenging hike takes hikers through several ecosystems before leading to the main event - three large waterfalls wedged between tall, rocky mountains," it says on the park's website.

There have only been three other deaths at the national forest since 2018.

A woman rock climbing fell 200 feet to her death in March 2018, and in September 2018 a 64-year-old hiker was found dead on one of the trails.

In June 2020, Max Tuerk, a former USC and San Diego Chargers lineman died while hiking one of the trails in the Cleveland National Forest.

The Messenger has reached out to the Cleveland National Forest for comment but has not heard back.