Tourist Dies in Fall at Oregon Waterfall While Posing for Photos
A 20-year-old tourist from Burlington, Kentucky, died after falling from the top of South Falls, a 177-foot waterfall at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. Zachary Nicholas Mertens entered a closed area above the falls on Monday to pose for photographs, despite barriers. He slipped and fell into the pool below around 6:30 p.m. Another visitor attempted CPR, but Mertens was pronounced dead at the scene. The Marion County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team recovered his body. The incident highlights the dangers of risky photo-taking, as photography has been named the most lethal recreational activity at the Grand Canyon National Park. Recent data shows a surge in mountaineering incidents among young people aged 17 to 25, quadrupling since 2022 in the Scottish Highlands, attributed to the 'Instagram effect' drawing inexperienced individuals to dangerous landscapes.
Key facts
- Zachary Nicholas Mertens, 20, from Burlington, Kentucky, died at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon.
- He fell from the top of South Falls, a 177-foot waterfall, after entering a closed area to pose for photos.
- The incident occurred on Monday at approximately 6:30 p.m.
- Mertens climbed a barrier at the upper viewpoint and crossed the creek to access the closed area.
- Another person performed CPR, but Mertens died at the scene.
- The Marion County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team recovered his body.
- Photography is the most lethal recreational activity at the Grand Canyon National Park.
- Mountaineering incidents among people aged 17-25 in the Scottish Highlands have nearly quadrupled since 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Zachary Nicholas Mertens
Institutions
- Oregon State Police
- Silver Falls State Park
- Marion County Sheriff's Office
- Marion County Medical Examiner
- Grand Canyon National Park
Locations
- Oregon
- South Falls
- Silver Falls State Park
- Burlington
- Kentucky
- Scottish Highlands