A member of a North Carolina rescue squad died following a fall during a search for a missing hiker Tuesday.
Rescue workers in Jackson County had been searching for a hiker who reportedly fell into the water near Whitewater Falls on Monday, WYFF-TV reports. The Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad had been called in to help with the search.
On Tuesday, Eldon Jamison, a paramedic with the squad's rugged remote high line operations rappelling team, fell from a rope during the search. Jamison, 71, did not survive the fall to the bottom of the falls, and he was recovered by a National Guard North Carolina Heart helicopter team.
"Eldon was a friend to us all," the rescue squad said in an online post Wednesday. "He was truly one of a kind. He was a long time rescue squad member and worked as a paramedic for years. He served in many positions on the Squad over the years from Chief to serving on the Board. He was currently serving as a Lieutenant. There has never been a more caring and compassionate person.
"He had many nicknames with us, some called him Old Man, to others he was known as Squad Father, because he was always there to share his wisdom and offer a lending hand.
"Eldon loved the Rescue Squad and everyone in it. We are all truly lost right now without him."
At the time of the fall, 10 rescue squad members were below the falls, and eight members were on their way down, according to WYFF. The other 18 members of the squad were uninjured during the rescue.
Along with the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad, multiple other fire departments and agencies participated in the search. The accident is being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau.
The missing hiker was not found Tuesday. The search will resume Wednesday.
