PORT ANGELES, Washington (WJW) An 18-year-old died after witnesses say he fell over a 50-foot waterfall in Washington state’s Olympic National Park over the weekend.
According to the National Park Service, the incident occurred in the Sol Duc Falls area on Sunday.
Witnesses told park rangers the man was walking across the rocks at the top of Sol Duc Falls “when he slipped, resurfaced at the bottom of the waterfall, then submerged into the water again,” the National Park Service stated in a Tuesday news release.
Park officials said rescue crews began searching for the teen right away. Park rangers reportedly used thermal imaging to search the riverbanks upstream from the trailhead.
Teams from local law enforcement agencies also joined the search.
Late Monday, according to the National Park Service, a ranger spotted “a completely submerged body pinned between the first and second falls.” Investigators said they believe the body is that of the teen who fell the day before.
On Tuesday, park officials temporarily shut down the area around Sol Duc Falls in preparation for what rangers called a challenging recovery effort.
According to park rangers, high temperatures and quick snowmelt have caused extremely high river flows. Park officials also pointed out that the 50-foot cliffs surrounding the area are covered in algae and moss.
The National Park Service did not identify the victim in the release
