College Student Drowns At Popular Hiking Destination Weeks After Two Students Die Due To Ocean’s Swell
A college student died after leaping into the frigid waters of an Oregon swimming hole on June 26 that authorities said has taken lives before.
Kenny Truong, 21, jumped into Tamolitch Falls while visiting the region alongside friends, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said in a statement. Dispatchers fielded a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. local time on June 26 reporting that a man had gone into the water off Highway 126 commonly called the Blue Pool and was unable to escape. Witnesses watched Truong fight to reach the bank before he slipped under, and the young man did not survive, according to the LCSO. Truong’s LinkedIn showed he was attending Wichita State University for a business degree, The Eugene Register-Guard first reported.
First responders answered the call at around 8:48 p.m. local time and pulled the individual from the water, but he could not be revived, the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District said in a Facebook post. The agency did not identify the individual. The water sits about 30 feet deep along the McKenzie River, Lookout Eugene-Springfield reported. The area is a favored destitination in Oregon for outdoor hiking, according to KWCH 12. (RELATED: Oregon Is Dangerously Close To Banning Hunting And Fishing)
The site draws crowds, yet the water sits at around 37 degrees on average, cold enough to trigger instant shock, the sheriff’s office said. Cliffs of 10 to 60 feet ring the basin, cell service is spotty, and an injured visitor can potentially wait hours to reach a hospital, according to the LCSO. Authorities respond to emergencies there annually, the agency said.
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“It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing,” the LCSO said in the press release.
A GoFundMe seemingly launched by a friend of Truong for his family has collected over $24,000 as of publication and described the college student a driven young man who lifted up those around him.
His death follows another water tragedy this month. Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were swept from a Santa Cruz beach due to the ocean’s swell on June 10, USA Today reported, citing local authorities. A Santa Cruz County fire captain said they were suspected to have been asleep, according to CBS San Franciscso. Nair attended the University of California, Berkeley, while Sran studied at San Jose State University. The universities confirmed their passing on June 16.
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