By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

SUNSET — A Greenville teen died Sunday after falling from Twin Falls.

Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley identified the victim as Nathalie Ann Ospina, 18, of Dellwood Drive.

The accident occurred around 12:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon when Ospina fell off the falls, Kelley said.

She died from blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene, Kelley said.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

During his daily update video on Facebook Live Monday morning, acting county administrator Ken Roper asked the public to keep the woman’s family in their prayers.

“As has happened before, we had someone fall and fall to her death,” he said.

Four hikers also went missing in the northern part of the county Sunday.

Crews located the hikers within a few hours of being dispatched to find them around 4:30 p.m.

“Although they were lost for a while, people were able to get in to them here in Pickens County,” Roper said. “Some of our first responders and our parks folks were able to locate the lost hikers.”

When found, the lost hikers “had plenty of food and water and were able to continue on their way,” he said.

The fatal fall and lost hikers were due to residents and visitors alike “using our outdoor parks areas a lot right now,” Roper said.

“We’ve all been stuck at home, so we’re going out and we’re going in the great outdoors, which is a wonderful thing to do, particularly here in Pickens County, where we are just ideally suited for people to visit and to play,” he said.

It’s important to take precautions to ensure a safe day out and a safe return.

“When you do go, make sure you know where you’re going,” Roper said. “Make sure someone knows that you’re there. Make sure that you’ve got a cellphone on you. You may not have good cellphone service up in the northern parts of the county, up in the natural areas, but just know to set up arrangements to check in with somebody, your family or friends, so that they’ll know that you’re not responding on time.”

Take plenty of food and wear comfortable clothing and “good shoes to walk in,” he said.

“Please take plenty of water,” Roper said. “The big thing there is to have the essentials, be prepared, have a plan and make sure someone knows that you’re going.”

The county’s parks, natural areas, state parks and heritage preserves “are wonderful, but be thoughtful about it,” he said.