A 21-year-old tourist from Kansas died Friday evening after jumping into the Blue Pool at Tamolitch Falls in Oregon, a popular but perilous natural attraction known for its cold water and dangerous currents. The Linn County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 9 p.m. reporting that Kenny Truong was struggling in the water.
Witnesses told authorities that Truong, a business student at Wichita State University, was swimming toward the shore when he submerged and did not resurface. First responders were dispatched to the scene, but he was pronounced dead. Truong was visiting the area with friends.
Officials have long cautioned visitors about the deceptive nature of the Blue Pool, where the water temperature averages a frigid 37 degrees Fahrenheit, posing a risk of immediate physical shock. The cliffs surrounding the pool range from 10 to 60 feet high. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service describes the hike to the pool as challenging due to its rough, rocky terrain and notes that emergency responders may take hours to reach the location.
Limited cell reception in the area further complicates emergency response efforts. "Tamolitch Falls is a breathtaking destination visited by people from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond," the sheriff's department stated. "It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing."
This incident is the latest in a series of tragedies at the Blue Pool. In 2013, an Oregon tennis player died after a 60-foot dive. Two years later, a photographer died from head injuries after falling into shallow water from a 45-foot height.
In 2023, officials proposed a ban on swimming in the Blue Pool following multiple rescues, but the measure was never enacted. "Once people go there, there’s no way to control what they do. I don’t know that people understand how serious the dangers are," Darren Cross, McKenzie River district manager for the Willamette National Forest, told Oregon Live previously.
Friends of Truong have organized a GoFundMe to support his family with funeral expenses, remembering him as a driven and positive individual. "Kenny had this fire in him. He wanted to succeed so badly, not just for himself, but for every single person he cared about," a description on the fundraiser reads. "That's a rare gift, and Kenny gave it freely to everyone he met."