Man Dies After Diving From 40-Foot Cliff Into Lake At Olympic National Park

A 43-year-old man died after jumping from a steep cliff into a lake at Olympic National Park in Washington state, according to The Sequim Gazette.

Law enforcement and rescue crews responded to Lake Crescent on August 23 after getting reports of a man diving into the Devil's Punchbowl, a popular swimming area at the lake, the National Park Service (NPS) reported. Witnesses told officials they watched the man, later identified as Tou Yang of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, plunge into the water from a 40-foot cliff.

“He went under the water and never resurfaced,” officials say, adding that he wasn't able to climb onto the rocky shoreline.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Public Safety and Natural Resource dive team recovered Yang's body hours later, according to reporters.

The agency warned parkgoers to be careful when entering the Devil's Punchbowl, which is known to have very cold temperatures and deep waters.

“Sudden immersion into cold water can impact a person’s breathing and ability to move extremities,” officials said in a press release. “Swimmers are encouraged to use a buddy system while on the water, use a life jacket, and understand the risks of hidden hazards of natural waters – rocks, vegetation, currents and waves.”

NPS is also investigating the incident.