Hikers missing after falling into Yosemite waterfall

Rescuers are still searching for three hikers that witnesses say they saw swept over a popular waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California.

The search began Tuesday afternoon when visitors at the top of Vernal Falls made emergency calls to park rangers to report seeing three people slip on the rocks that line the falls and plunge into the water below.

Witnesses said a man and woman climbed over the guardrail that separates visitors from the treacherous water to get a better view of the 320-foot waterfall, MSNCB reports. They couple were reportedly encouraging their children to join them when they began slipping and fell over the edge. A third male family member also reportedly fell after jumping over the guardrail to help them.

“I saw the man’s eyes when he went over the falls,” witness Jacob Bibee told a local news station. “That was devastating.”

Rangers immediately closed the Mist Trail, a three-mile trek to the top of Vernal Falls with a 1,000-foot rise in elevation. At the top, there is a guardrail with signs in multiple languages warning visitors to be cautious of slippery boulders.

Park officials sent 30 rescue workers and rangers to comb the Merced River corridor in search of the hikers, the AP reports. The search was called off when darkness fell Tuesday night, but resumed Wednesday morning.

This is not the first time someone has gone over the edge. Park officials report that at least 10 people have died in the area in the past 10 years.