PICKENS COUNTY — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has been called in to assist in the investigations of what are being considered accidental deaths in the last week, including the death of a second hiker and an accidental death at a local youth camp.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and other emergency personnel were called July 14 to Camp Point-Young Life Camp concerning an accident involving a 16-year-old from Florida who was attending the camp, located at 4000 Glady Fork Road on Sassafras Mountain.

The camp offers a week long program targeted for teenage children and provides various team building exercises throughout the week which consist of but are not limited to courses involving ropes and rides through wooded areas along the mountain side.

Preliminary stages of the investigation revealed that the teen was assigned to a group of other teenagers participating in an event called the “Freebird.”

Oliver Paige Grimes of Lakeland, Fla., was seated and attached to a large pendulum swing along with two other participants when she became unattached and fell approximately 100 to 120 feet from the swing onto the ground.

The ride was being supervised by two members of the camp’s staff when the accident occurred. The victim did not survive the fall and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Carolina Point representatives have told PCSO officials the “Freebird” course will remain closed until the investigation has been completed and a full inspection of all equipment has been completed.

Along with the two staff employees on site, there were several other witnesses to the incident but no other injuries were reported. PCSO officials stated the circumstances surrounding the incident “appear to be an accident.”

The day before, on July 13, deputies responded around 11:35 a.m. to a report of a fallen hiker at Twin Falls on Water Falls Road in Pickens County.

Rescue personnel and first responders from several departments were on the scene and the fallen hiker was removed from base of the falls. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pickens County Coroner’s office.

The hiker was identified as Craig Schulz, 44, of Greenville, according to the Pickens County Coroner’s Office.

According to a statement released by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the hiker was with a group of other adults when he apparently lost his footing and fell to his death.

This was the second death of a hiker in Pickens County within the last month

Jonathan Michael McKenzie, 16, of Simpsonville, was hiking June 28 within Table Rock State Park with a female companion when he stopped to refill water bottles at Mill Creek Falls. According to the results of the investigation, McKenzie lost his footing and fell more than 50 feet to his death.

The incident took place some three miles from the trail head and first responders carried McKenzie out for assistance but he was pronounced dead at the scene. McKenzie’s death was ruled an accidental slip and fall.