Raleigh man hurt in fall from western NC waterfall

Gabe Pitzel was climbing Upper Falls with some friends when he slipped and fell about 40 feet, said Tim Francis, Pisgah District ranger for the Blue Ridge Parkway. The man suffered serious head injuries, he said.

It took rescuers from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Transylvania and Haywood counties about five hours to reach the man and transport him to Mission Hospital, Francis said. He was listed in serious but stable condition on Wednesday.