# US tourist, 20, dies in 170-ft waterfall fall while posing for photos 2026-08-12T19:00:47+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A 20-year-old tourist from Kentucky, Zachary Nicholas Mertens, died after falling 177 feet from South Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, The New York Post reported. He entered a restricted area near the waterfall's top to pose for photos, slipped, and fell. Emergency crews arrived around 6:30 pm on Monday, but Mertens did not survive. South Falls is a major attraction on the park's Trail of Ten Falls, popular with visitors. Oregon State Police said their investigation found no indication anyone else was involved. The incident remains under investigation. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Oregon, restricted area, selfie accident, tourism safety, waterfall death Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-tourist-20-dies-in-170-ft-waterfall-fall-while-posing-for-photos/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-tourist-20-dies-in-170-ft-waterfall-fall-while-posing-for-photos/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.