YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, died after being swept over a 594-foot-high waterfall in Yosemite National Park on a Saturday. Officials confirmed Alfaro's death this week.

Alfaro was in the Merced River when strong undercurrents pulled him downstream. Freesia Gaul, a parkgoer and former volunteer lifeguard, noticed Alfaro in the river while capturing a photo.

Gaul jumped into the water to attempt a rescue. She stated that while the water appeared calm, there were powerful undercurrents. Gaul said, "People see calm water, but they don't realize that under that there's a huge undercurrent."

She was unable to reach Alfaro in the turbulent water and struggled to stay afloat herself. Gaul also stated, "When you see someone like that, when you make direct eye contact with someone who you know is going to go over, you can't turn around."

A bystander extended a walking stick to Gaul, which she clung to in order to avoid going over Nevada Fall. The National Park Service has since opened an investigation into Alfaro's death.

Yosemite National Park is located about three and a half hours east of San Francisco and attracts approximately 4 million visitors annually. In a statement issued this week, the National Park Service advised parkgoers to use "extreme caution" near any flowing water or wet rock in the area.

Historical records show similar fatal incidents at the park. In 2013, a 19-year-old from California died after swimming in the Merced River and being swept downstream to Nevada Fall's edge. In 2018, an Israeli teenager died after plunging 800 feet down a cliff while taking a selfie near Nevada Fall.