2 Japanese Men Die in River near Washington State Waterfall Made Popular on TikTok

AP

19:34 JST, March 20, 2024

INDEX, Wash. (AP) — The bodies of two people recovered over the weekend after they fell into the water at a dangerous swimming area in Washington state made popular by TikTok have been identified as men from Japan.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the men Tuesday as Hiroya Konosu, 21, and Takayuki Suzuki, 34, the Daily Herald reported.

Search and rescue personnel responded to the Eagle Falls area along the Skykomish River east of Index on Saturday after reports that two men had gone underwater and hadn’t resurfaced. The two men were reportedly part of a four-person group.

Their bodies were recovered on Sunday.

The beautiful but dangerous swimming hole along U.S. Route 2 has soared in popularity because of social media, Sky Valley Fire Chief Eric Andrews said. The falls, videos of which went viral on TikTok in 2020, have become a “hot spot” for drownings in recent years, he said.

The falls feature a series of rapids where the glacier-fed water is funneled into narrow chutes between rock. People drown or are rescued nearly every year after they are swept over or into the falls.

Andrews said the TikTok surge has calmed down, but the falls remain popular.

First responders have urged people to admire the falls away from the water.