PORT ANGELES, Wash — The Sol Duc Falls area in the Olympic National Park is closed while rescue teams recover the body of a visitor.
Park rangers say the 18-year-old fell down the 50-foot waterfall on Sunday and died.
Witnesses say the teen was walking across the rocks at the top before he slipped. They say he resurfaced at the bottom and then went back under the water.
The park’s swiftwater and rope rescue teams immediately began looking for the man.
A ground team immediately began searching the riverbanks upstream from the trailhead and using thermal imaging to search the water.
However, park staff say crews are facing multiple issues. They say high temperatures and rapid snowmelt have caused significantly high river flows. Also, the area where the man fell is a narrow canyon, making it difficult to navigate. There’s a second waterfall, a whirlpool, and additional hazards downstream that are also presenting challenges.
The team will recover the body as soon as the river conditions become safer.
No word on how long that could take.
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