A rock climber died Monday after a fall at Crowders Mountain State Park despite a dramatic rescue attempt by emergency workers.
The man fell about 70 feet before his harness and a rock ledge caught him, said Chris Stowe, a spokesman with Crowders Mountain Fire and Rescue.
Witnesses said he struck his head several times against the mountain as he tumbled down. He was not breathing and did not have a pulse when paramedics reached him, and life-saving efforts were started, according to Gaston Emergency Medical Services.
An off-duty firefighter who was also rock climbing called in the incident at 6:25 p.m.
Garrett Robinson and Claudia Cardona were hiking with friends and talked to the man a short time before he began his ascent of the cliff face. The man spoke of securing his harness and said he would prefer to have someone climbing with him, but that he was going it alone.
A short time later, Robinson and Cardona watched on in horror.
"We were just looking at him and then all of a sudden he lost his grip and fell backward," Garrett Robinson said.
The safety harnesses failed to catch.
"He was flipping and hit his head multiple times," he said.
The harness eventually slipped up to the man's neck, choking him, Robinson said. He ended up about 10 feet from the ground. Cardona heard him speaking.
"He said, 'I can't breathe. I can't breathe,'" she said.
Cardona said she tried to climb the side to get to him but couldn't reach him. She could feel the rocks falling around her as she tried to reach the man.
It would take rescue crews about 30 minutes to reach him. They had to use a pulley system to get him off the ledge, Stowe said.
Monday's warm temperatures and extra hour of sunlight had many people at the park enjoying the outdoors.
"We want you to get out here and experience this facility and all it has to offer, but we want you to do it and be safe," Stowe said.
Emergency workers had not ID'd the man late Monday.