A TEEN has died after plummeting 50 feet at a popular scenic spot, with his body pinned between two waterfalls.
The 18-year-old slipped while walking across wet rocks at the edge of the falls, according to officials.
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He was seen resurfacing at the bottom before he disappeared under the water.
The tragedy unfolded at Sol Duc Falls, Washington, inside Olympic National Park.
Witnesses raised the alarm immediately after the teen vanished on June 8.
Search and rescue crews launched an urgent response that included swiftwater and rope rescue teams.
The teen was completely submerged and couldn’t be spotted during the initial search.
A park ranger located the body on June 9, pinned between the first and second falls.
His remains were submerged in a narrow canyon beneath the main waterfall.
Authorities believe this is the same person seen falling into the water a day earlier.
Recovery efforts were paused as officials assessed river conditions and safety hazards.
Crews cited fast-moving water due to recent high temperatures and snowmelt in the area.
The river was flowing at a dangerous speed through a constriction point in the canyon.
Officials also had to account for a downstream whirlpool and steep, algae-covered cliffs.
SAR teams planned the operation carefully with support from multiple agencies.
Port Townsend Chief of Police Thomas A. Olson told DailyMail.com their drone team was ready, but the body was found before they arrived.
National Park Service’s Press Release
“The Sol Duc Falls area is closed while the Olympic National Park Search and Rescue (SAR) Team prepares to recover the body of an 18-year-old man who fell over the 50’ waterfall on June 8.
“A park ranger located a completely submerged body pinned between the first and second falls late on June 9. It is likely that this is the visitor who fell over the falls the day before.
“According to witnesses, the young man was walking across the rocks at the top of the falls when he slipped, resurfaced at the bottom of the waterfall, then submerged into the water again.
“The park’s swiftwater and rope rescue teams began their search and evaluated rescue options immediately after the man disappeared. A ground team searched the riverbanks upstream from the trailhead and thermal imaging was used to search the water. Many local SAR partners joined the efforts, including Forks Ambulance, Forks Swiftwater, Olympic Ambulance, Clallam County Fire District 2, the Port Townsend and Sequim Police Departments, and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
“SAR teams have combined their expertise in swiftwater rescue, park hydrology, and rope rescue to plan a safe recovery. The teams are considering multiple issues, including:
- Recent high temperatures and rapid snowmelt in the upper Sol Duc drainage have caused significantly high river flows.
- The target area is in a narrow canyon — a constriction point beneath the main falls. The speed and force of the water increases as it flows through this constriction point in the river.
- A second waterfall, whirlpool, and additional hazards are downstream from the target area.
- Vertical, 50-foot cliffs covered in algae and moss flank both sides of the target area.
“The team will begin the operation as soon as the river conditions allow for a safe and successful recovery.”
Source: National Parks Service
The Clallam County Coroner’s Office said the teen’s identity will be released by the National Park Service.
Clallam County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun request for comment.
FAMILY DEVASTATED
A person claiming to be the teen’s cousin posted online about the victim’s background, per the DailyMail.com.
The post claimed the teen was a pastor’s son, had just graduated high school, and was accepted to Baylor University.
“He was out in the world for the first time in his life and paid with his life for a tragic mistake,” they wrote.
“Every parents worst nightmare happened, they got that knock on the door from the Police.”
The message added that the teen’s family, including his younger sister and grandmother, are devastated.
They thanked responders for recovering his body so his parents could bring him home.
PARK DANGER
Sol Duc Falls is known for its dramatic four-pronged cascade into a rocky, narrow gorge.
The area sits at an elevation of 200 feet, and the trail to the viewpoint is about 1.6 miles round trip.
The Washington Trails Association listed the trail as closed until further notice.
The National Park Service and Port Townsend Chief of Police didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.
