Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
This Chapel Hill News story really captures the spirit of two 20-something men who were friends and who both died after injuries sustained on the same day in April. James Karpinos was a UNC-Asheville student who died after falling from atop a waterfall:
CHAPEL HILL — Jake Billings had never been camping in the Appalachian Mountains.
It just so happened that he knew the ultimate guide, James Karpinos, who was heading to UNC-Asheville to start college. So Billings piled into the Karpinos family’s car and rode off with James and his parents for a weekend of moving in and exploring outdoors.
Carolyn Karpinos fondly remembers her son’s friend busying himself when the group reached the school.
“While James did the orientation, we went to the library and Jake was out on the campus already meeting people,” she said. “Jake was out there talking and introducing us to students — he was such a friendly kid and just nice as can be.”
Five years later, Billings had a degree in boat building from Cape Fear Community College and was there again taking culinary classes, while Karpinos was just finishing up his bachelor’s degree in sociology at UNC-Asheville. But neither young man would get a chance to pursue postgraduate ambitions: Each died last month after injuries sustained on the same day — April 26.
Karpinos was the youngest of three brothers, and died when he lost his footing while hiking with his girlfriend near Asheville. Jake, who also had two older brothers in addition to his twin brother Sam, fell and hit his head outside near his parents’ home in Chapel Hill. He suffered a brain injury and was hospitalized for four days before dying.
