Nelson Wilborn of Clarkston, Georgia, was one of three crew members hired by George Weiblen to replace those who left after Howard Williams was killed in 1966.

In November of 1971, while helping with the removal of some scaffolding from the face of the carving as work was coming to a close, Wilborn fell to his death, becoming the third and last casualty of the project along with Williams in 1966 and Thomas Melvin Kennedy in 1927. His pant leg caught in a protruding nail on a board, causing him to lose his balance. An employee of the Georgia State Parks Department, Wilborn was 25 years of age.