Tennessee hiker drowns trying to save woman who fell into creek; rescuers recover both bodies

A 23-year-old woman and 20-year-old man drowned near a hiking trail in Tennessee on Sunday after the woman fell into a creek and the man jumped in to try and save her, authorities said.

Police responded around 7:13 p.m. to a 911 call about the pair going underwater near Rainbow Lake Trail in Signal Mountain, the Signal Mountain Police Department said.

First responders hiked about a mile down the trail when they encountered a woman waiting for them to arrive. 

The woman told officials that she was with a group of three to four people who hiked on the trail to a large creek. 

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One woman tried to cross the creek but fell into a "drop off" and went underwater, according to authorities. A man from their group then jumped in after her, but the pair never resurfaced.

Police and fire personnel jumped into the water to find and rescue both victims, the department said.

Rescuers found the woman in the water and pulled her onto land. They performed life-saving measures on the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Officials requested additional assistance while searching for the missing man. His body was eventually recovered from the water. 

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Police later identified the woman as 23-year-old Greffania Merilus, of Cohutta, Gerogia, and the man as 20-year-old Gullson Elve, of Birchwood, Tennessee, News Channel 9 reported. 

Officials told the station that the pair were "really close friends."

Following the two deaths, Signal Mountain Town Council Member Susannah Murdock told Local 3 News that she is calling for additional signage along the trail to warn hikers about potential dangers in the area.

"We got this pretty sign up here that says Rainbow Lake and it’s a beautiful place down there, but they don’t know the terrain is rocky and bumpy and can be steep in places," Murdock said. "When we’ve had a lot of rain, there’s water that flows down there pretty rapidly."