Hiker who fell to her death trying to save teen at Three Sisters Falls in East San Diego County ID'd

Paramedics airlifted the teen to a hospital. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, she was expected to survive, according to deputies

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San Diego County Sheriff's Department

The Medical Examiner has identified a woman who fell to her death Thursday at Three Sisters Falls while trying to save a teenager who also fell, but survived.

The woman, identified Friday as 48-year-old Sarah Louise Crocker of Ladera Ranch, had led a group of four teens, including family members and family friends, on a morning hike to the cascading waterfalls, according to the Medical Examiner's Office (ME) and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

Crocker and a teenage girl, who was unrelated to Crocker, were in the middle pool of the falls when they both fell over the edge of the third waterfall down to the bottom pool, the ME said.

"The woman supervising the teenagers attempted to keep the girl from going over the ledge," SDSO Lt. Jeff Ford said. "Unfortunately, both the woman and girl fell and suffered severe injuries."

Witnesses were able to give CPR to Crocker but she did not survive. Her cause of death was multiple blunt-force injuries, including to her chest, with drowning, according to the ME.

Paramedics airlifted the girl to a hospital. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, she was expected to survive, Ford said.

Three Sisters Falls is a popular natural landmark made up of three consecutive waterfalls in the Cleveland National Forest in unincorporated Descanso.

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