Officials have identified the swimmer who died after jumping into Blue Pool at Tamolitch Falls on Friday evening.
According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Kenny Truong of Kansas was visiting the area with friends when he jumped into the water at Tamolitch Falls, a popular destination off Highway 126 that is commonly known as Blue Pool.
Linn County Undersheriff Micah Smith said dispatchers received a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. on June 26 reporting that a male had jumped into the water and was not able to get out.
Witnesses told officials Truong struggled as he tried to swim toward shore before submerging. People at Tamolitch Falls tried to help him, and first responders arrived after the 911 call, but Truong did not survive.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kenny Truong, 21, of Kansas, during what is an unimaginable time,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, and Upper McKenzie Rural Fire responded to the scene Friday evening. Officials said those agencies have responded together at Blue Pool many times before.
The death is a heartbreaking reminder that one of Oregon’s most beautiful places is also one of its most dangerous.
Blue Pool is famous for its clear turquoise water, volcanic rock, forested cliffs, and almost unreal appearance. It is the kind of place that fills social media feeds every summer, drawing hikers, photographers, travelers, and swimmers from across Oregon and beyond.
But the same place that looks calm and inviting from above can become deadly in seconds.
The U.S. Forest Service says the cliffs around Blue Pool rise between 10 and 60 feet. The water averages just 37 degrees Fahrenheit. That is cold enough to cause immediate physical shock when someone enters the pool.
At that temperature, the body can react before a person has time to think. Cold water shock can trigger gasping, panic, rapid breathing, loss of muscle control, and swimming failure. Even strong swimmers can be overwhelmed.
That danger becomes even more serious at Blue Pool because getting out is not easy. The pool is ringed by steep rock, the terrain is rugged, and cell phone reception is minimal to nonexistent. When something goes wrong, emergency crews may need hours to reach the person, stabilize them, and get them to a hospital.
Linn County officials said emergency agencies respond to incidents at this location every year.
“Tamolitch Falls is a breathtaking destination visited by people from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond,” the sheriff’s office said. “It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing.”
Blue Pool sits along the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail in the Willamette National Forest. The Forest Service says a lava flow from Belknap Crater buried a three-mile stretch of the McKenzie River about 1,600 years ago. The river now travels underground through porous lava before resurfacing at Blue Pool, creating the brilliant turquoise basin that draws so many visitors.
The trail to the pool is not especially long by Oregon hiking standards, but it is rocky and remote enough to make rescues difficult. The Forest Service lists the hike as 2.1 miles from Trail Bridge Reservoir or 3.3 miles from Carmen Smith Reservoir, with moderate, rough terrain.
This was not the first major emergency at Blue Pool this year. In May, Linn County Search and Rescue responded after a 53-year-old woman from Terrebonne severely injured her knee while hiking at Blue Pool. Because of the steep terrain, technical rope rescue teams were mobilized, multiple agencies responded, and the U.S. Coast Guard ultimately performed a helicopter hoist rescue.
That rescue ended with the woman being transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.
Friday’s incident ended far more tragically.
Officials are asking anyone planning to visit Tamolitch Falls to understand the risks before entering the water, watch out for the people they came with, and call 911 immediately if someone is in distress.
The McKenzie River Ranger Station can be reached at 541-822-3381 for current conditions and visitor information.
For many Oregonians, Blue Pool is one of those places that feels almost magical the first time you see it. The water is impossibly clear. The color is unforgettable. The setting feels wild, peaceful, and deeply Oregon.
But beauty does not make a place safe.
Blue Pool is frigid. It is remote. It is surrounded by cliffs. It has limited phone service. And when someone jumps in, there may be no easy way back out.
Kenny Truong was 21 years old, visiting Oregon with friends, when a trip to one of the state’s most famous natural landmarks became a tragedy.
His death should be a warning to everyone who makes the hike to Tamolitch Falls this summer.
Take the photos. Enjoy the view. Respect the place.
But do not underestimate the water.
