Penn State Malaysian student found dead below Abrams Falls

Al-fatihah. I got this news from my friends who are studying there.

By Iva Butler
of The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: May 26. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: May 25. 2009 10:33PM

A college student who was to fly home to Malaysia next week was found dead at the base of Abram's Falls at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Nublan Zaki Norhadi, who was 20 years old, was with a group of about 30 college students from Penn State. This was not school-sponsored, but a trip planned to the Smokies by the students themselves, said Bob Miller, Smokies public information officer.

They arrived at the Abram's Falls Trailhead at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and got to the falls at 6:20 p.m.

Miller said it is unclear whether Norhadi was wading on the series of steps and was swept away to the base of the falls or if the jumped in and was swimming and them swept away by the strong current. Thanks to recent rains, the water at the falls was higher than usual, which made the current even stronger.

"Two of his buddies attempted to rescue Norhadi, but were also being swept away and had to be pulled out by other buddies," Miller said.

Swimming is not banned at the falls but there is a sign warning of the strong current and hazards at the falls, he added.

"It would have taken a strong swimmer to get out of the current and the other students said Norhadi was not a strong swimmer," Miller said.

Abrams Falls is located 2.5 miles up the trail that starts off a stub road in Cades Cove that is located to the right just before the Cable Mill.

The body was found at 1:30 p.m. Monday 30 feet down by the Blount Special Operations Response Team (BSORT) divers, Miller said. They arrived at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the falls. Three pack mules were used to carry in their equipment.

The park does not have a dive team. The man had been reported missing at 7 p.m. Sunday.

In April 2004 a 14-year-old from Vine Middle School in Knoxville drowned under the same falls.