Two hikers were hoisted to safety Monday after being swept over Rainbow Falls on the Black River in Gogebic County, the Gogebic County Sheriff's Office reported.

Deputies were dispatched to the Black River Trail area at approximately 1:38 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, after reports that two people had gone over the falls. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing yelling near Rainbow Falls before deputies arrived.

The sheriff's office said one person slipped while attempting to cross the Black River. When a second person went to help, the current pulled both over the edge of Rainbow Falls, a roughly 40-foot drop and the last waterfall on the Black River before it empties into Lake Superior.

The Gogebic County Search and Rescue Team hoisted both people to safety. Both sustained only minor injuries, according to the sheriff's office statement reported by WLUC.

No names were released. The sheriff's office did not release the ages or hometowns of the two people rescued.

Multi-agency response

In addition to the Gogebic County Sheriff's Office and its Search and Rescue Team, the Michigan State Police Wakefield Post, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement, Ironwood Township Fire Department and Beacon Ambulance responded to the scene.

The sheriff's office did not release the ages or hometowns of the two people rescued.

Rainbow Falls sits at the end of a half-mile hiking trail off a paved parking lot in the Ottawa National Forest's Black River Harbor Recreation Area. The Black River corridor features five waterfalls along the North Country Trail, making it one of the most popular recreation destinations in the western Upper Peninsula.

The Ottawa National Forest began a major project in May to repair and replace viewing platforms, stairways and trail structures along the corridor. Planned improvements at Rainbow Falls include new stairs, railings, platform decking and recast concrete piers. The project is expected to continue through fall 2027.

It is unclear whether any trail or platform closures at Rainbow Falls were in effect at the time of Monday's incident. The Ottawa National Forest's Bessemer Ranger District can be reached at 906-852-3500 for current trail conditions.