An 18-year-old man fell down a waterfall to his death at Olympic National Park in Washington state, park officials said. An area of the park was closed temporarily to recover his body.
The victim, who has not been publicly named, fell over the 50-foot first waterfall at Sol Duc Falls on Sunday, ONP said in a release. A park ranger spotted his submerged body the following day.
Witnesses reported seeing the victim walking on rocks at the top of the falls before slipping and falling. He was able to resurface briefly at the bottom, then became submerged again, park officials said.
ONP officials said Tuesday that the Sol Duc Falls area would be closed until his body was recovered and that the start of recovery efforts was dependent on the condition of the river.
Some issues are complicating the recovery, including the levels of the river following snowmelt, the speed of the river and whirlpools.
Park officials have not provided any update since Tuesday on the recovery efforts or the reopening of the area around the falls.
