CHEROKEE, N.C. — (AP) — A man has died after jumping into a river in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to help a young relative.
That’s according to park rangers who said just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, they responded to the scene of a drowning in progress on the Oconaluftee River in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Local news outlets report witnesses said 32-year-old Bulmaro Morales had jumped in to help a juvenile family member who was in distress.
When rangers arrived, the juvenile was safe on shore but Morales had not resurfaced. He was later found underwater, and life-saving efforts were not successful.
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