A family who has recently lived in South Carolina is mourning after a tragic incident resulted in the death of their toddler.
Keith and Sherilyn Newswanger originally lived with their two children in Pennsylvania. Recently, they've been living in South Carolina as Keith works on a construction site. On a day off on April 10, the family decided to travel to North Carolina's Whitewater Falls for a picnic and some hiking.
Tragedy struck when the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Nevaeh Jade Newswanger, was playing in sand near the water. The little girl slipped in and although both her parents sprung into action, she was caught up in the current.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and five assisting offices responded to a 911 call just before 6 p.m.
"Just prior to night fall on Sunday rescuers located the child deceased and entrapped in an area of the water fall," the Sheriff's Office shared in a statement published by NBC News.
Recovery efforts went into the night. Nevaeh's body was recovered around 1:00 a.m. on April 11.
"First and foremost our prayers are with the Newswanger Family as they grieve the loss of this precious young child," Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall said.
"We desperately tried to rescue her but the current was so strong and it swept her down the river and over the falls where the angels caught her," her parents wrote in a GoFundMe raising money to bury their little girl.
"She is now our precious angel, so radiant in the presence of God. Her name is heaven spelled backwards. She was truly a piece of heaven to all who knew her."
Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, dropping 411 feet. It is not known how far Nevaeh fell.
"With the onset of spring weather we need to be reminded of the dangers associated with many scenic areas of the region such as waterfalls," the sheriff noted.
"While beautiful to view from a safe distance, venturing out closer to the falls for any reason brings tremendous danger. Always remain at a distance, follow safety precautions and warnings which are in place, and view waterfalls from designated viewing areas."
