MARIETTA, Ga. — The community is mourning two Cobb County men who died while hiking near a waterfall in North Carolina this week.
Davis Zinsenheim, 22, and Joseph Hopkins, 23, both of Marietta, died when they fell from a ledge near Raven Rock Falls Tuesday.
The Sheriff’s Office says the men were hiking on private property behind the home of a friend’s relative when Hopkins slipped and fell a quarter of the way down the falls to a ledge. When Zinsenheim tried to help, he lost his footing and fell about 150 feet.
Zinsenheim died at the scene. Hopkins was rescued and taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries Wednesday.
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Zinsenheim’s father says the two college students had been best friends for years. They graduated from Pope High School together in 2012.
“We are devastated. At the same time, we don’t know if it's hit us yet,” Steve Zinsenheim said.
Davis was his only son. The 22-year-old Georgia Southern student was on a trip to the North Carolina mountains with his girlfriend and Hopkins when tragedy struck.
“(His girlfriend) relayed the story. She said that Joey had fallen, and then Davis went to try to help him and that's when he fell," Steve Zinsenheim said.
He says his son loved the outdoors, playing hockey and other sports. He showed Channel 2’s Tom Regan pictures of his son and Hopkins on a graduation trip to Arches National Park.
“Davis enjoyed lots of outdoor activities, water skiing, wake boarding, scuba diving,” Steve Zinsenheim said. “He was a great kid. Everyone loved him.”
His fraternity brothers made a road trip from Georgia Southern to pay their respects.
“Most of the fraternity drove up from Statesboro. They were in Atlanta last night because Davis was such a beloved guy,” Steve Zinsenheim said.
He says Davis was majoring in computer technology with aspirations of becoming a commercial pilot.
“Everyone who knew him just knew he was a great guy,” he said.
Cox Media Group
