Few things in nature are as awe-inspiring as waterfalls, but their beauty and splendor often come with great danger. The NPS recently released a mortality record in national parks all across the US, documenting the 3,985 deaths from 2007 to 2023. The exact number of waterfall-related deaths is unclear because it’s rolled into the “Fall” and “Drowning” categories, which account for 829 and 428 deaths respectively. So, what happens if you fall into Follheur Waterfall (or any other waterfall for that matter)? Is it going to be a certain death?
Potential Injuries
According to National Geographics, the stream of a waterfall carries sediments of various sizes, from microscopic silt to boulders. A lot of those sediments end up in the plunge pool below. If someone plunges into a waterfall, whether deliberately or by accident, what will happen to the person, mentally and physically?
Panic Attack
Unless you deliberately plunge into the waterfall for some reason, the panic attack quickly strikes the moment you slip and fall over the crest. Think of it as falling off a bicycle because the front tire hits a pothole; the immediate loss of balance feels disorientating, and you can’t really control how you land on the ground. The difference is that a waterfall has a much longer way down, and instead of solid ground at the bottom, your body will hit the water surface in the plunge pool below.
What’s Likely to Happen
Malcolm Cooper of the Hawaii Masters Swimming Association offers an explanation about what is likely to happen if you plunge into a waterfall. He says you’ll almost certainly hit rocks, but that’s not the only threat. Once you hit the plunge pool, the bubbles will make it feel as if you’re entering a big surf. The plunge pool below the waterfall contains so much air to the point where you find it difficult to swim. You can barely see anything because the bubbles block the sunlight.
Assuming you survive the bubbles, finding yourself underwater following a massive impact to the body when you hit the surface can cause disorientation, according to Cooper. The sudden shock of going into cold water can actually trigger a heart attack. You’ll try to swim up, but there’s no way to tell which direction you’re going. The turbulent water pushes you around, and there’s always a possibility of hitting a debris, rendering you unconscious or death. Even if you manage to survive all of those and reach the surface, the cold suddenly comes along with a bruising current.
Typical Injuries and Causes of Death
According to Jonas Karlsson, MD, a critical care surgery specialist at Mission Trauma Services, some of the most common injuries from waterfall-related incidents include fractures of the neck, ribs, lower spine, lower extremities, and pelvis. Laceration, facial trauma, and head or skull injuries are also common. All across Western North Carolina, where there are more than 250 waterfalls, Mission Hospital is the only designated trauma center. If left untreated, any of those injuries may cause death.
Swallowing water
In many cases, your body responds to the panic attack by screaming. In a situation where holding your breath is the best thing you can do, screaming makes a bad situation worse. Without holding your breath, chances are you’ll swallow some water as you travel down the plunge. Is Follheur Waterfall safe to drink? The answer is no. After and during the panic, what happens if you fall into Follheur Waterfall is that you can’t help but to let some amount of water get into your mouth and nose. National Park Service says you should never drink water from a natural source unless you purify it first.
Takeaway
Plunging into a waterfall is potentially fatal; at the very least, it can cause serious injuries all over the body, including the head, pelvis, and lower extremities. The sudden impact between your body and cold water may trigger a heart attack. Assuming you survive the plunge itself, swallowing water from the waterfall carries the risk of waterborne diseases from bacteria, parasites, and viruses. These diseases, too, may cause serious harms to the body if left untreated.
