Overview
- The victim, who fell Monday evening, slipped about 177 feet from the top of South Falls and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Oregon State Police identified him as 20-year-old Zachary Nicholas Mertens of Burlington, Kentucky.
- Police said Mertens accessed a closed, fenced-off area above the waterfall to pose for photographs before he lost his footing.
- Bystanders performed CPR as troopers and Marion County deputies responded and Marion County Search and Rescue and the county medical examiner later completed recovery and released the body to a funeral chapel.
- South Falls is the tallest drop on the popular Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park and officials note that fenced viewpoints and warning signs exist to prevent the type of risky behavior that led to this fatal accident.