Woman who died after leap from waterfall identified
NEWLAND, N.C. -- The woman who died Sunday after jumping from a waterfall in Avery County has been identified as a 26-year-old who recently earned a master's degree in architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Multiple media outlets report that Sheida Hosseinzadeh died after she hit shallow water while jumping on Sunday from the top of Elk River Falls, a 60-foot waterfall.
Deputies say Hosseinzadeh was with family members when she jumped. Dive teams from surrounding counties helped recover her body.
Asheville-based National Forests in North Carolina spokeswoman Patty Matteson says the agency is investigating the death since it happened on national forestry property.
UNC-Charlotte assistant professor of architecture Mona Azarbayjani tells the Charlotte Observer that Hosseinzadeh moved from Iran in 2013 and graduated with her master's degree in May.
