Sol Duc Falls closed after 18-year-old falls to death off 50-foot cliff

The National Park Service (NPS) has temporarily closed the Sol Duc Falls area in the Olympic National Park after an 18-year-old man fell over a 50-foot waterfall on June 8.

The Olympic National Park Search and Rescue Team (SAR) is preparing to recover the body after a park ranger located him submerged between the first and second falls on June 9.

Man slips on rocks at Sol Duc Falls

“According to witnesses, the young man was walking across the rocks at the top of the falls when he slipped, resurfaced at the bottom of the waterfall, then submerged into the water again,” NPS wrote.

The park’s swiftwater and rope rescue teams began searching the area and planned rescue options immediately after the man’s disappearance.

Additionally, thermal imaging was used to search the water, and a ground team searched the riverbanks upstream from the trailhead, according to NPS.

However, SAR teams noted multiple issues that may delay their search, including:

• High temperatures and rapid snowmelt caused high river flows.
• The body is located in a narrow part of the canyon.
• A second waterfall, a whirlpool, and additional hazards are downstream from the body’s location.
• 50-foot cliffs covered in algae and moss on both sides of the target area.

Many SAR partners have joined the efforts, which include: Forks Ambulance, Forks Swiftwater, Olympic Ambulance, Clallam County Fire District 2, the Port Townsend and Sequim Police Departments, and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, NPS wrote.

SAR teams will begin their retrieval of the body immediately after conditions allow for a safe recovery.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here