The identity of the teen who took a fatal plunge off a 50-foot waterfall at Olympic National Park in Washington State has been revealed. Grant Herridge's family revealed he was the one who perished.
Herridge had traveled to Olympic National Park with some friends after graduating a few weeks prior from high school. Sadly, he slipped on some rocks at Sol Duc Falls and took a fatal plunge into the water. According to the National Park Service, the incident happened on June 8.
Herridge's father, Brad Herridge, mourned the loss of his son in a tragic Facebook post.
"Grant was doing what he loved, hiking through Olympic National Park, and had a tragic accident," he wrote. "He was always so full of life and we are going to honor him by living life to the fullest in the future. Please continue to pray for us as we struggle to live life without him."
Sadly, park rangers were unable to rescue the teen. His body was found submerged under the water the next day.
Teen Dies At Olympic National Park
"The park's priority is to safely complete this recovery as soon as conditions allow. Rangers will continue to monitor the target area, natural hazards, and changing conditions. Recovery operations will resume when it is safe to do so," officials said in an update.
Herridge was set to attend Baylor University. Sadly, those dreams never came to pass for the teen.
"He had wanted to go to Baylor his whole life" Brad Herridge said. "His mom and I graduated from Baylor, his mom works for Baylor... so Baylor's like in his heart."
Meanwhile, Baylor plans to pay tribute to the teen after his death at Olympic National Park.
"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. 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 university said in a statement.
