A 20-year-old tourist passed away recently in a fatal fall at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon.
Zachary Nicholas Mertens of Burlington passed away after slipping and falling from the top of South Falls waterfall at about 6:30 pm on Monday.
He ended up accessing a closed area to pose for images before he fell nearly 177 feet below, as confirmed by the police today. Another visitor to the park tried to revive Mertens with CPR before emergency crews arrived. However, the victim passed away at the scene.
The County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team oversaw the recovery efforts, but no further details were shared regarding this matter. As investigations continue, the officers are speaking in more detail about how it was a horrifying and shocking incident.