2 hikers drown after falling into creek on Tennessee trail

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Two family members drowned while hiking near a lake outside of Chattanooga, officials said.

The Signal Mountain fire and police departments were called to Rainbow Lake Trail on Sunday evening after two people were reported underwater, authorities said.

Rescue personnel hiked a mile (1.6 kilometers) down the trail and spoke to a female who said she was hiking with the others to a large creek on the trail when another woman trying to cross the creek fell in. She said a man jumped in and tried to rescue her, but he also disappeared.

Crews were able to pull the woman out and tried to revive her but were unsuccessful, police and fire officials said. They recovered the man’s body later.

Police identified the woman as 23-year-old Greffania Merilus, of Cohutta, Georgia, and the man as 20-year-old Gullson Elve, of Birchwood, Tennessee.

Their exact relation between the two wasn’t clear, but they were members of the same extended family, Holloway said.