UPDATE: Authorities have identified the person who died Monday evening after falling from South Falls at Silver Falls State Park as 20-year-old Zachary Nicholas Mertens of Burlington, Kentucky.
Oregon State Police said Mertens entered a closed area near the top of the 177-foot waterfall to pose for photographs before slipping and falling into the water below.
OSP responded alongside the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Search and Rescue, and Silver Falls State Park rangers.
A visit to one of Oregon's most beloved state parks ended in tragedy Monday evening after a person fell from the top of South Falls at Silver Falls State Park.
According to Oregon State Police, emergency crews were called to the Marion County park at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Monday, August 10, following reports that someone had fallen from the top of South Falls.
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South Falls, one of the best-known waterfalls in Oregon and a centerpiece of Silver Falls State Park, plunges approximately 177 feet into the canyon below.
Investigators say the person had entered an area that was closed to visitors before the accident occurred. According to OSP, the person was reportedly posing for photographs near the top of the waterfall when they slipped and fell into the water below.
Witnesses attempted to help following the fall, but the person could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly released the person's identity.
Tragedy at One of Oregon's Most Popular Waterfalls
The accident occurred at one of the most recognizable locations within Silver Falls State Park, a destination that draws hikers, photographers and families from across Oregon and beyond.
Located near Silverton in the foothills of the Cascade Range, the park is best known for its spectacular collection of waterfalls and forest trails. South Falls is among its signature attractions, with visitors able to experience the waterfall from established viewpoints and from the trail that descends into the canyon.
The park's famous Trail of Ten Falls takes hikers through the forest past a series of waterfalls, including sections where the trail travels behind several of the cascades. While much of the developed trail system brings visitors remarkably close to the falls, steep cliffs, wet rock and exposed areas can become extremely dangerous outside designated visitor areas.
Monday's tragedy comes just days after another fatal fall at a well-known Oregon waterfall.
On August 1, a 19-year-old man from Kennewick, Washington, died after falling from a cliff above Punchbowl Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, according to the Hood River County Sheriff's Office. That incident occurred only nine days before the fatal fall at South Falls.
The two deaths happened at different locations and under different circumstances, but together they are a sobering reminder of how quickly an outing near Oregon's waterfalls and cliffs can turn dangerous.
Oregon State Police said their investigation indicates the person involved in Monday's accident had crossed into a closed area before attempting to pose for photographs.
Rock near waterfalls can be slick even during the summer, while steep drop-offs that appear manageable from a distance can leave little room to recover from a slip.
Visitors to Silver Falls and other waterfall destinations around Oregon should remain on designated trails and viewpoints and respect barriers, closure signs and areas marked off by park officials.
As of Tuesday morning, August 11, authorities had released no additional information about the victim or the circumstances surrounding the fall.
This is a developing story and will be updated if additional information is released by Oregon State Police or Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
