Yosemite Hiker Swept to His Death Over Falls

A Diamond Bar man died when he was accidentally swept over Nevada Falls on the John Muir Trail at Yosemite National Park, park officials reported Monday.

Sidduq Parekh, 31, was hiking Saturday with three friends on a two-day trip to climb Half Dome when he stopped near the footbridge of the falls to soak his feet in the Merced River.

Parekh slipped on algae-covered rocks into the swift current and was washed over the 594-foot waterfall, park officials said.

Parekh’s fall was witnessed by one of his friends, who called rangers on a cellular phone. Rangers using a helicopter recovered his body a few hours later.

Parekh was an experienced Yosemite hiker who had made several trips to the park, a spokesman said.

Signs at the bridge warn hikers of the dangers of entering the water in that area, according to park officials, who said Parekh was the fourth person to die at Nevada Falls in the last four years.