Tourist, 20, Falls to His Death After Botched Waterfall Pic

Zachary Mertens, 20, slipped and fell into an Oregon waterfall after posing for a photo in a closed-off area. Mertens, of Burlington, Kentucky, died from the 177-foot fall from South Falls in Silver Falls State Park late Monday night. The State Park is located about 50 miles south of Portland and 20 miles east of Oregon’s state capital, Salem. According to Oregon State Police, Mertens “crossed into a closed off area to pose for photographs at the top of the waterfall when (he) slipped and fell into the water below.” Park officials and another visitor tried to save Mertens but were too late. The 20-year-old played basketball for his high school team in Bellevue, and for the club team Moss Elite. Photos on social media show Mertens posing on the court with trophies. He is survived by his parents, Jason and Alicia Mertens, and his older brother RJ Mertens, 24. “It was a pretty horrific accident,” former Silver Falls State Park manager and current regional manager Chris Gilliand told The Statesman Journal. “A very tough situation.”