PSA: Be Aware of Potentially Deadly New Rock Hiding Under Surface of Lower McCloud Falls, CA

As temperatures rise in Northern California, more and more people are heading to swimming holes to cool down. Lower McCloud Falls is one such area and is even rated as one of the 5 Best NorCal Swimming Holes to Beat the Heat. But rockfall during the winter has added an invisible danger you need to know about before jumping into the water warns Active NorCal.

• Related: California’s Best Swimming Holes: McCloud Falls

 

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(PLEASE READ) Earlier this summer I went to Lower McCloud Falls aka lower Fowler falls to mess around with the usual suspects @croulter @robert.wall @alexsquirrely @faayeded. We didn’t depth check this spot because we all have jumped here lots of times for many years so we assumed it was safe but it wasn’t. I jumped first and I hit a huge rock about 4-6 feet under the water. It had fallen in off the hillside directly into the center of the pool under the waterfall. I got incredibly lucky because I just barely hit the rock and did not get hurt. Since then I’ve heard of several people that have gotten hurt very bad from the new rock😞. Please spread the word to all of your friends that might go here. Please share to spread the message and remember to always depth check. . . @activenorcal @volcom @gopro @tahoenative @redneckrippers #depthcheck #share #cliffjumping #waterfall #waterfalls #safetyfirst #fowlerfalls

A post shared by Brandon Beck (@brandonnbeck) on Jul 19, 2019 at 6:25pm PDT

Friend of SnowBrains Brandon Beck recently took to Instagram to explain how jumping into the water below Lower McCloud Falls (the easiest and most popular way into the water) is dangerous this summer:

“Earlier this summer I went to Lower McCloud Falls aka lower Fowler falls to mess around with the usual suspects,” Beck wrote on Instagram. “We didn’t depth check this spot because we all have jumped here lots of times for many years so we assumed it was safe but it wasn’t. I jumped first and I hit a huge rock about 4-6 feet under the water. It had fallen in off the hillside directly into the center of the pool under the waterfall. I got incredibly lucky because I just barely hit the rock and did not get hurt. Since then I’ve heard of several people that have gotten hurt very bad from the new rock.”

A good citizen, Beck posted a sign at the jump spot above the water, but it seems many people didn’t take the warning seriously as other people have replied explaining the horrors of this new rock:

“I was there recently when someone got airlifted out of there,” said Instagram user @mrlicon33.

“Was just there the other day and yeah that rock under the water is freaky deadly…right in the landing zone,” replied Instagram user @andrewjumanji.

“I jumped in after a guy who dove headfirst from that spot. I turned around to set my stuff down then everyone was screaming call 911 so I jumped in and 2 other guys and I pulled him off to the side cause he was going under due to injuries he had to fly out. He definitely lived though thankfully,” Instagram user @pats_humanexperience.

Please be very careful if you’re at Lower McCloud Falls and warn others that may not be aware.