A 20-year-old Penn State student was found dead underwater Monday near Abrams Waterfall Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, park officials said.

A representative from the Blount County Tennessee Sheriff's Office said they were involved with the recovery of Nublan Zaki Norhadi's body. They confirmed the cause of death was drowning.

Divers found the body of Norhadi at about 1:30 p.m. Monday in the pool of the 35-foot waterfall, park spokesman Bob Miller said.

Norhadi was among a group of about 30 Penn State students who arrived at Cades Cove at about 6 p.m. Sunday while hiking along a park trail, Miller said.

It remains unclear if Norhadi jumped in the water or slipped off a rock, but the death was not a suicide, Miller said.

One or two students jumped in the water to try to save Norhadi, Miller said, but were unsuccessful because of a strong current. Those students were pulled back to land with sticks used by friends standing along the gorge, he said.

The student's death is the third fatality in five years in that particular location of the park, Miller said. While warning signs are posted, swimming is allowed because there would be no way to enforce the prohibition of such activity, he said.

The students were enrolled at Penn State, but the trip was not school affiliated, Miller said.

"It's a terrible misfortune, it's tragic," he said. "We feel bad for his family and friends."

-- Collegian Staff Writer Chris Bickel contributed to this report.