BEND, Ore., June 30 (Our Bend News) — Tamolitch Falls, also known as Blue Pool, was the scene of another fatal rescue response Friday evening when a 21-year-old Wichita State University student jumped into the Oregon swimming hole and drowned, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office identified the student as Kenny Truong of Wichita, Kansas. Dispatchers received a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. June 26 reporting that a man was struggling in the pool, and witnesses told authorities he was trying to swim to shore before submerging.
“Despite the best efforts of those at Tamolitch Falls who tried to help him, and the first responders who arrived in response to the 911 call, Kenny did not survive,” Linn County Undersheriff Micah Smith said in a statement quoted by Fox News.
The site sits off Highway 126, also known as the McKenzie Highway, in Linn County. It has been the scene of previous serious incidents, including a 2020 rescue in which a man jumped from rock ledges and did not surface for several minutes, according to the sheriff’s office.
A University of Oregon blog post recounting a 2013 death at Tamolitch Falls identified the victim as University of Oregon junior Alex Rovello. The repeated emergencies add to the site’s documented safety history for visitors heading to central Oregon.
