A 26-year-old man died after falling into the falls at Cedar Ponds on Saturday, officials said.
He fell late Saturday in Young's Creek between Sultan and Monroe. Just six months earlier, an Everett woman drowned there. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition but later died.
The water moves quickly and relentlessly over the falls at Young's Creek, the spot where a man fell some 20 feet late Saturday afternoon. Bystanders tried helping a friend lift him out, but he slipped back into the cold, fast-moving water.
"Some people were on the right side of the creek trying to facilitate some kind of rescue at the very top of the fall," said Lt. Tim Tullis, Snohomish County Fire District 5.
Tullis says first responders immediately recognized the danger, the rugged terrain, the slippery and wet conditions. One crew rappelled down the steep slope while others set up a mechanical device before they were finally able pull the man out.
The rescue happened " just before 5 o'clock," Tullis said.
By then, the man had been in the water more than an hour.
It is easy to see the appeal of Young's Creek. Even the sound of the water is enticing. And there's graffiti that means others have found their way to the spot, as well.
In fact, it is possible to actually walk along the falls. Sadly, that is where disaster can strike.
"This thing here going down," said Bill Mercer, "it's wicked wild."
Mercer, an avid outdoorsman, has been coming to Young's Creek since he was a teenager.
"Yeah, it's dangerous, if you don't know what you're doing," he said. "You can get in. It's slimy, rocky. "
Last March, a 29-year-old Everett woman slipped and fell here, too. All rescuers could do was recover her body.
Tullis says this should serve as a warning to others.
"People are taking more and more risks," he said, "to try and one up each other with photographs, selfies. "We have to be cautious and safe."
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