Teen hiker drowns after falling into river at Georgia state park

TALLULAH FALLS, Ga. — Search and rescue teams have recovered the body of a hiker who fell into a river at a popular Georgia state park.

Exauce Kabeya, 19, went for a hike at Tallulah Gorge when he fell into the river above Oceana Falls on Friday, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He never resurfaced.

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DNR along with several other agencies launched a search for Kabeya after they were alerted about the hiker’s fall around 12:40 p.m.

After hours of searching and using drones, officials pulled the 19-year-old’s body out of the water.

Tallulah Gorge stretches for several miles and is nearly 1,000 feet deep with waterfalls and cliffs throughout the park.

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