Santa Rosa Junior College Wrestler Ryan George, 19, Dies in 400-Foot Fall Near Yosemite's Illilouette Falls

Yosemite has had a brutal September. Separately, two people aboard a helicopter fighting a wildfire in the park were killed in a crash, according to Fox News. On Sunday, September 20, a Santa Rosa Junior College sophomore slipped off a trail near Illilouette Falls and fell nearly 400 feet to his death, according to Fox News.

Ryan George was 19. National Park Service rangers located his remains in the canyon below Glacier Point Trail, Fox News reported. He was hiking with friends when he slipped, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which first reported his death Tuesday, September 23.

As of Thursday, September 24, park officials have not released further details on the fall, citing a standard policy of not commenting on active fatality investigations, per Fox News. The Daily Mail said it sought comment from both Yosemite officials and the Mariposa County Sheriff's Department. Neither has issued a public report on the circumstances of the fall.

A breakout wrestler with two days left in his season

George wrestled in the 197-pound division for SRJC's Bear Cubs. As a freshman last season he went 23-4, earned All-American honors, and took third place at the California Community College Athletic Association state tournament after entering ranked sixth, according to the LA Times and Fox News. He pinned fifth-ranked Dominic Sanders Jr. in 2 minutes, 38 seconds to fight back through the bracket, then beat teammate Joe Ellis 6-2 for the bronze, according to the LA Times.

He competed for the last time on Friday, September 18, at the Dave Pacheco Invitational in Sacramento, placing second individually. Fox News and Patch reported the Bear Cubs took second place as a team, while US Magazine reported the team placed fourth overall. The discrepancy between accounts remains unresolved.

SRJC head coach Fred Duerr announced George's death in a statement to the athletics department. "If you knew Ryan, you know he was one of the most genuine, positive people you could ever meet," Duerr said, according to the LA Times. "He had this way of lighting up a room, making you feel welcome, and bringing out the best in everyone around him."

Duerr also praised George's coachability, telling reporters, "He listened, he answered questions and applied what we were teaching him. He was so willing to learn. You don't find that trait often in higher-level athletes," according to US Magazine. George's high school coach at Montgomery High in Santa Rosa, Ken Coburn, told the Press Democrat that George "wasn't a natural competitor, he had to learn to compete," and that "even his competitors became friends with Ryan."

A sister grieving twice in one month

George was born August 28, 2007, according to Patch. His father died when George was an infant. His mother, Taji, died just weeks before her son, according to US Magazine, which did not report a cause of death for either parent.

That leaves his older sister, Jaida George, who has a two-month-old son, according to US Magazine. A GoFundMe page set up to support her says she "is grieving the loss of two people she loves deeply, while also facing all that comes with losing family members so unexpectedly."

Jaida told the Press Democrat her brother found his identity through the sport. "It was good watching him find what he loved," she said. "Everyone knew. He was always playing and wrestling when he was a kid so when he started wrestling, everyone knew." She added, "He really just loved to play. Literally, it just matches him. He was just so loving."

George had told the Press Democrat he was considering a career as a firefighter and hoped to keep wrestling at a four-year university. Duerr said he believed George had "coaching blood in him."

No investigation findings, autopsy results, or National Park Service incident report have been made public as of this writing. Whether Mariposa County officials release additional details on how George fell remains uncertain.