By Bill Carey
EMS1
CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Warning signs are being posted along a popular creek in Caldwell County, where an EMT and her 1-year-old son drowned.
Chelsea Jackson and her son died on July 20 in Wilson Creek’s “bathtub” area. Jackson, an EMT from Rock Hill, was visiting with family when she and her baby fell into the water while walking on the rocks, WSOC reported.
Many of the members at the Richburg Fire-Rescue knew Jackson, who was an EMT at Piedmont EMS.
“It’s devastating,” Richburg Fire-Rescue Chief T. Melton said. “It’s not something you expect. You know it can happen. You know, things can happen on the job. You don’t really think about what can happen on vacation.”
Lisa Jennings from the U.S. Forest Service said new signs will be posted along Wilson Creek.
“They will look calm on the surface but under the water, you’ll get the spinning currents that will take people from the top underneath these caverns and boulders,” Jennings said. “That’s the dangerous part.”
The signs highlight specific dangers such as strong currents, slippery rocks, underwater hazards, and caution against climbing and jumping at the waterfall.
