BEND, Ore., June 30 (Our Bend News) — Blue Pool at Tamolitch Falls off Oregon Highway 126 in Linn County, Oregon, was the scene of a fatal swimming incident Friday evening when a 21-year-old Wichita State University student drowned after jumping into the water, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said.
Dispatchers received a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. on June 26 reporting that a man had gone into the pool and was struggling. Witnesses told authorities that Kenny Truong of Wichita, Kansas, tried to swim toward shore before submerging.
Linn County Undersheriff Micah Smith said, “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.”
The sheriff’s office has responded to earlier emergencies at the site, including a 2020 rescue after a man jumped from rock ledges and did not surface for several minutes. A University of Oregon blog post also recounted a 2013 death at Tamolitch Falls.
The latest death adds to a long record of serious incidents at the pool, a destination that sits off Highway 126 and has drawn repeated rescue calls over the years.
