UGA student Faye Zhang fell 90 feet to her death rock climbing in Alabama, leaves community heartbroken

UGA student Faye Zhang fell 90 feet to her death rock climbing in Alabama, leaves community heartbroken

The woman who fell 90 feet to her death at Cherokee Rock Village Saturday was only on her second outside climb, according to friends and fellow climbers.

The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office said Yutong “Faye” Zhang, 18, originally from Minnesota, was killed in an incident Saturday at about 12 p.m.

Investigators were called to Cherokee Rock Village, off Cherokee County Road 70. Investigators say Zhang fell while climbing.

Zhang, originally from Minnesota, was a member of the University of Georgia’s Foundation Fellowship, the school’s top academic scholarship. Greg Trevor, a UGA spokesman, said Zhang was a first-year student at the school.

Cherokee Rock Village sits atop Lookout Mountain in Cherokee County. It’s a popular site for rock climbing, hiking and camping, affording a memorable view of nearby Weiss Lake.

According to WSB, Zhang was involved with Active Climbing, an indoor rock-climbing gym near the UGA campus, and visited two to three times a week.

Owen Donnelly, a friend, described Zhang as, “Gentle—I think—would be a good word.”

Adrian Prelipceanu, owner of Active Climbing, said the climbing community in and around Athens “are all heartbroken about it. You could tell by the vibe around here.”

According to Climbing magazine, Zhang that morning texted her family, “Person organizing trip cooked delicious breakfast.” She had already finished one climb that day and had impressed those around her with her confidence.

The fall happened at “Misty,” a popular climbing route at Cherokee Rock Village with a steep overhang.

Those with Zhang at the time of the accident believe she inadvertently put the rope holding her into a position so that when it was weighted, it came unclipped.

Karsten Delap, a guide with the International Federation of Mountain Guides posted an analysis on social media of what might have happened.