WATCH: Oregon tourist dies after falling from iconic waterfall
Authorities said the 20-year-old tourist entered a restricted area of Silver Falls State Park.
A 20-year-old tourist from Burlington, Kentucky, named Zachary Nicholas Mertens, tragically died on Monday after falling from the South Falls waterfall at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. Police responded to the scene around 6:36 p.m. local time after receiving reports of the incident. According to the Oregon State Police, Mertens had entered a restricted area to take photographs at the top of the waterfall.
He slipped and plummeted approximately 177 feet into the water below. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team coordinated the recovery efforts. An eyewitness attempted CPR on Mertens before emergency services arrived. The former Silver Falls State Park manager, currently the regional manager, described the accident as "very tough."
The Marion County Medical Examiner turned over Mertens' body to the search and rescue team. Silver Falls State Park is renowned for its picturesque waterfalls, and visitors can observe the 177-foot curtain of water from the back of South Falls, which is part of the Trail of Ten Falls. In August 2020, a teenager suffered injuries after jumping off the same waterfall, but was later rescued by emergency teams.
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