Boy, 18, plunges 50 feet to his death off Washington waterfall so powerful his body cannot be retrieved

Daily Mail​

18-06-2025

A young man plunged to his death over a waterfall 10 days ago, but park rangers have still not yet recovered his body.
Grant Herridge, 18, tragically died on June 8 while on a high school graduation trip to Olympic National Park, about 100 miles west of Seattle in Washington state.
The Texas native was crossing the upper river when he lost his balance, slipped and fell over the 50-foot Sol Duc Falls.
He fell into the water and briefly resurfaced at the bottom of the falls before fully submerging again, witnesses told rangers.
Rescuers have been working to recover his body since the tragic accident, but efforts are now paused due to unsafe conditions at the falls, the National Parks Service said.
Recovery teams were lowered into the narrow canyon, but could not reach Herridge because of 'high river flows' from snow melt.
Officials will continue to monitor the area and resume recovery efforts again once conditions are safe, rangers said.
The teen's grief-stricken father Brad Herridge says his son 'loved doing exciting, fun things' and 'lived life without anxiety, and he lived life to its fullest'.
Herridge embarked on a tour of seven national parks with his friend just days after their high school graduation, Brad told KWTX.
The teen, who was always looking for his next adventure, had been wanting to go on the trip for several years - but his parents never expected it to end in tragedy.
'We've just been so beside ourselves with grief,' Brad, a pastor at Ocker Brethren Church in Bell County Texas, said.
But the pastor says that even throughout this terrible hardship, the family is moved by the outpouring of support they have received from their community.
'I always preach that in times of tragedy is where you see the kingdom of God the most because there's just so much love, and I always believed it, but this past week I felt it,' he added.
A visitation for Herridge, who was expected to attend Baylor University this fall, will be held Wednesday at the college's Hurd Welcome Center. His memorial service will be held in Waco on Friday.
Baylor University, where both Brad and his wife Mary are alums, has established a memorial scholarship in Herridge's honor.
'Our hearts are shattered for the Herridge family in the tragic passing of their son Grant, who was an incoming freshman and shining light in Baylor's Class of 2029,' the university wrote in a statement.
'It is difficult to express the depth of our sorrow for Mary, Brad and Lucy, but our Baylor Family has come together to surround them in our deepest prayers and support as they navigate this unimaginable loss.'
The Olympic National Park Search and Rescue Team responded to the popular tourist spot after Herridge fell on June 8.
Rescuers used thermal imaging to scan the water as a ground team searched the riverbanks.
Herridge's body was found pinned between two falls one day later, and the park was closed to initiate the rescue mission.
He fell in a dangerous area with 50-foot cliffs covered in algae and a strong whirlpool at the bottom of the falls.
The area where authorities responded was also in a narrow canyon with a strong water flow.
The National Park Service said initially that the rescue mission was complicated due to recent high temperatures and rapid snowmelt that created high river flows.
Rangers also noted additional hazards downstream from the area.
The park service paused rescue operations on Tuesday, saying they would begin when the river conditions 'allow for a safe and successful recovery'.
Sol Duc Falls has an elevation of 200 feet with a hiking trail of 1.6 miles, round-trip, according to the Washington Trails Association.
The Sol Duc River, which feeds into the waterfall, has an average discharge of 1,270 cubic feet per second.
The falls split into at least four channels and cascade down a 50-foot, narrow, rocky canyon.
Officials say the canyon acts as a constriction point that increases the water's speed and force.