A tragic incident has occurred involving a 21-year-old student from Wichita State University who lost his life after leaping into a well-known swimming area in Oregon, where the frigid waters are reportedly intense enough to cause immediate shock.
Kenny Truong, hailing from Wichita, Kansas, was with friends at Tamolitch Falls, locally recognized as Blue Pool, on Friday evening. As he plunged into the water, he found himself unable to return to the surface, confirmed the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency dispatch received a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. on June 26, alerting them to a man who had entered the body of water near Highway 126 and was in distress.
“Eyewitnesses observed him battling to swim toward the shore before he disappeared from view,” Linn County Undersheriff Micah Smith stated in an official release. “The dedicated efforts of both bystanders at Tamolitch Falls and the emergency responders who promptly arrived after the 911 call, unfortunately, could not save Kenny’s life.”
Kenny Truong, a university student from Kansas, tragically drowned after jumping into the chilly waters at Tamolitch Falls, also known as Blue Pool, in Oregon on June 26, 2026. (GoFundMe)
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Upper McKenzie Rural Fire responded to the remote area Friday evening.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kenny Truong, 21, of Kansas, during what is an unimaginable time,” Smith said.
Truong was a finance major at the W. Frank Barton School of Business and a member-at-large of the Cummings Student Managed Investment Fund, Wichita State University confirmed to News Media.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office said the water at Tamolitch Falls averages 37 degrees and can cause immediate physical shock upon entry. (USDA Forest Service photo by Breanne Schnell)
Blue Pool, known for its striking turquoise water and cliffside views, is a major draw for hikers and visitors across the Pacific Northwest, but officials warned it can be deadly.
“It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing,” Smith said.
Authorities said the cliffs surrounding the pool rise between 10 and 60 feet, while the water averages just 37 degrees. The area also has minimal to no cellphone service, and rescue efforts can be complicated by the remote terrain.
“When something goes wrong at Blue Pool — or on the trail leading into the falls — it can take up to several hours from the moment of injury to reach a hospital,” the sheriff’s office said.
Kenny Truong was a finance major in Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business and a member-at-large of the Cummings Student Managed Investment Fund. (Wichita State University)
A GoFundMe organized by Carter Nguyen remembered Truong as a deeply loved friend with “fire in him” who pushed others to become “the brightest, best, fullest” versions of themselves.
“Kenny wasn’t just my best friend; he was my brother,” Nguyen wrote. “He had a way of making everyone around him feel seen, feel loved, and feel like they were capable of more than they ever believed on their own.”
“Every room he walked into got a little brighter just because he was in it,” Nguyen wrote. “That’s not something you can fake; that was just Kenny.”
The sheriff’s office urged visitors to understand the risks before entering the water at Tamolitch Falls, watch out for the people they arrive with and call 911 immediately if someone is in distress. Officials said visitors with questions about current conditions should contact the McKenzie River Ranger Station.