Sunny View man dies after DuPont Forest fall Saturday

Published 10:45 am Monday, June 6, 2016

Authorities identified the man as Daniel Howard Schoren Jr., 20, of Mill Spring.

Schoren was hiking with his family when he attempted to climb up the face of the waterfall, lost his footing and fell to the base, according to Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney.

Mahoney also said Schoren climbed in a section with a sign that said “No Rock Climbing.”

The accident occurred around 4:20, Saturday, June 4, just an hour after Schoren posted a short video of the hike showing himself and two family members at DuPont Forest.

Schoren was a 2013 graduate of Polk County High School and attended Isothermal Community College in Spindale. He was employed at the Ingles near Lake Lure, according to his Facebook page.

High Falls is a 120-foot waterfall, located in DuPont Forest in Transylvania County between Hendersonville and Brevard. Schoren was reported to have fallen approximately 50 ft.

Schoren’s mother, Julie Schoren posted on Daniel’s Facebook page Sunday saying her soul is crushed as well as other friends of his stating their condolences and what a kind, good man he was.

“This is Julie Schoren. I’m Daniel’s mother,” she said on her son’s Facebook page. “Daniel was involved in a hiking accident yesterday, and he did not survive. I ask you all to pray for God’s comfort to be with us in the moments, days and weeks that lay ahead of us. Please feel free to comment. I love and miss you son, and will do so for the rest of my days. My soul is crushed.”

This is the first fatal fall this year at DuPont State Forest, according to the Cedar Mountain Fire and Rescue. A man fell 50 feet from the waterfall in March but survived.

Polk County’s latest fall from a waterfall occurred on May 9 at Big Bradley Falls in Saluda. Cody Barra, 20, of Moore, S.C. fell approximately 50 ft. but was rescued. It took rescuers from Polk and Henderson counties about seven hours to extract Barr where he was discovered by hikers at the bottom of the falls.