The attempted recovery of an 18-year-old man’s body discovered below Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park on June 9th was unsuccessful as rangers faced high river flows in the 7-8 foot wide canyon.
The 18-year-old fell over the falls on June 8th with witnesses reporting the man was walking across the rocks at the top of the falls when he slipped and fell. He apparently resurfaced at the bottom before submerging into the water again. Swiftwater and rope rescue teams were unable to locate the man after the fall.
Olympic National Park teams versed in technical and swiftwater rescues worked to recover the body last week, including lowering multiple responders into the narrow canyon. High river flows due to recent warm temperatures and rapid snowmelt led to the unsuccessful recovery.
The park is prioritizing the safe completion of the recovery as soon as conditions allow. The target area, natural hazards, and changing conditions will continue to be monitored by park rangers. The recover operation will continue when it is safe to do so.
Organizations involved in the initial response include Forks Ambulance, Forks Swiftwater, Olympic Ambulance, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue (Clallam County Fire District 2), the Port Townsend and Sequim Police Departments, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, and Kitsap Search Dogs.