Services set for man who fell to his death

A Chapel Hill High School graduate fell to his death Saturday afternoon at a waterfall in Western North Carolina.

James Karpinos, 22, a senior at UNC-Asheville, died when he lost his footing at Windy Falls and fell into the Horsepasture River in Transylvania County, said Capt. Brian Cash of Lake Toxaway Fire and Rescue.

Cash said hikers are advised to use caution but allowed to hike along the top of the 300-foot waterfall. He wasn't sure whether drizzle contributed to Karpinos' fall.

"There's somewhat of a trail," Cash said. "It's not perfect, and it's not great. It's some rough terrain in there for sure."

Divers recovered Karpinos' body Sunday afternoon.

Karpinos was a sociology major, an experienced outdoorsman and a trip leader for his university's outdoors program, said Keith Bramlett, his academic adviser and one of his sociology professors.

"He was also just an intellectually curious person," Bramlett added. "He loved new ideas, loved new experiences, loved challenging his way of thinking."

Karpinos spent last semester studying family and gender issues in Ghana.

Emily Wipper, who graduated from high school with Karpinos in 2003, said he was designated Mr. Freshman in the yearbook and possibly Mr. Senior his last year. He was good at rhyming and improvisation and put both skills to use in freestyle rapping.

She recalled that he made the football team his junior year without having played before. He swam for both Chapel Hill High School and the N.C. Aquatic Club.

In addition to making time for studying in Ghana, Karpinos had served with AmeriCorps in New Orleans and Sacramento, she said.

"He was pretty amazing at it," Wipper said. "In high school we'd all be together out and about, and he was hilarious, great at rhyming."

He also did some volunteer firefighting and rescue work in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, said Megan Gulla, who also attended high school with Karpinos.

The summer after he completed his AmeriCorps service, he went back West to fight wild fires, Gulla said.

"I think my favorite thing about James is that he never said anything bad about anyone," Gulla said. "He just really cared about every single person that he had contact with and made them feel like they were legitimately friends with him."

Karpinos was the son of Chapel Hill Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos and Carolyn Karpinos of Chapel Hill.

UNC-Asheville has planned a celebration of Karpinos' life for 4 p.m. Wednesday. The outdoor ceremony will include a tree planting in his memory.

A service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at University Presbyterian Church, 209 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill.

Donations may be made to the UNC Asheville Foundation to benefit the UNC-A Outdoors Program or the Student Global AIDS campaign. Please designate which organization and send donations to UNC Asheville Foundation, UNC-Asheville, CPO #800, Asheville, NC 28804.