Overview
- Authorities confirmed the deaths of Parth Patel, 30, and Dharti Patel, 29, of San Mateo after the couple drowned at Roaring River Falls.
- The drownings occurred on May 25 at the popular 40-foot cascade along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and multiple news reports.
- The Fresno County Coroner’s Office formally identified the victims on June 1, and officials say the circumstances remain under investigation with few additional details released.
- Visitors’ social media posts and eyewitness accounts reported that one person slipped on wet rock while taking a photo and that a rescue attempt pulled both into the fast-moving water, prompting search-and-rescue response with helicopters on scene.
- The National Park Service warns that Roaring River Falls channels late-spring snowmelt through a narrow granite chute, creating hidden currents and very slippery surfaces, and park officials say drowning is a leading cause of death in Sequoia and Kings Canyon during snowmelt season.