A 20-year-old man has died after falling 177 feet while trying to take a photo at a waterfall in Oregon.
Fatal fall at South Falls
Zachary Nicholas Mertens, from Kentucky, slipped in a closed area of Silver Falls State Park on Monday evening. He was attempting to snap a picture at the South Falls when he lost his footing and fell into the water below.
Witnesses tried to perform CPR, but he was pronounced dead shortly after the fall.
Park manager describes 'horrific accident'
Regional park manager Chris Gilliand told the Statesman Journal: 'It was a pretty horrific accident. A very tough situation.'
Last month, two adults and a child died after falling from Germany's tallest observation tower. The family were found at the bottom of the 213ft wood-and-steel structure in the Harz Mountains. Firefighters went to the scene, but they were declared dead.
The structure, which cost around €10 million to build, features two observation decks and a 'skywalk' with a glass floor at a height of 45 metres. An elevator provides access, but the tower can also be reached via stairs. Another way down is via a 110-metre-long slide.
