Zachary Nicholas Mertens, a 20-year-old Burlington resident and 2025 Bellevue High School graduate, died Aug. 10, after slipping and falling approximately 177 feet from the top of South Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, according to Oregon State Police as reported by Central Oregon Daily.
Troopers said Mertens crossed into a closed, restricted area near the top of the waterfall to pose for photographs. He slipped and fell into the water below. Another park visitor attempted CPR before emergency crews arrived.
Mertens died at the scene.
Oregon State Police received the call at approximately 6:36 p.m. The Marion County Sheriff's Office, Marion County Search and Rescue and Silver Falls State Park rangers assisted. The search and rescue team recovered Mertens' body from the base of the falls.
Investigators determined what happened through witness accounts, photos and videos taken at the park, according to NBC16. A friend of Mertens notified his family before police followed up.
School community responds
Bellevue Independent Schools Superintendent Misty Middleton issued a statement Aug. 12, confirming Mertens graduated from Bellevue High School in 2025. Middleton wrote that the district is heartbroken by the sudden and devastating loss, and that the tragedy has deeply affected the school community.
Counselors will be available at both Bellevue Middle School and Bellevue High School for students, staff and community members who need support, the superintendent said. No end date for that availability was announced.
Chris Gilliand, a regional manager for Oregon State Parks who formerly managed Silver Falls, called the incident "a pretty horrific accident," according to People magazine citing The Statesman Journal.
Second fatal fall at Oregon waterfall in nine days
Mertens' death marked the second fatal waterfall fall in Oregon in nine days. On Aug. 1, a 19-year-old man from Kennewick, Washington, died after falling from a cliff above Punchbowl Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, according to That Oregon Life.
South Falls, the park's signature attraction east of Salem, plunges 177 feet into a canyon. Park officials urge visitors to remain on designated trails and viewpoints and to respect barriers and closure signs, noting that rock near waterfalls can be slick even in summer.
Bellevue Independent Schools asked community members to keep Mertens' family in their thoughts as the district continues to provide support in the days ahead.
