Family hike turns tragic after mom plunges 300 feet off Georgia mountain, officials say
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of the victim’s name as reported by the White County Coroner’s Office.
Georgia authorities have identified a Cartersville woman as the hiker who fell to her death while climbing Yonah Mountain.
Jennifer Randel, 46, was hiking with her husband and son Tuesday when she plummeted more than 300 feet from the mountain’s rock face and died, White County Coroner Ricky Barrett told McClatchy News.
Authorities responded to reports of a fallen hiker around 10:30 a.m., the director of public safety for White County said in a news release.
Navigating the “extremely treacherous” terrain, emergency crews used a rope system to hoist the woman’s remains to the top of the rock, according to public safety director, David L. Murphy Jr.
The family had hiked the trail several times before and was familiar with the area, Murphy said.
“This is one of those tragic accidents that can occur while hiking the trail areas of our county,” he said.
Yonah Mountain, also known as Mt. Yonah, is near the northeast Georgia town of Helen, about 90 miles north of Atlanta.
The mountain’s trail way ranks No. 7 in Trip Advisor’s list of “25 things to do in Helen.”
The White County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are investigating the fatal fall.
