Woman Dies At Wallace Falls State Park, 3rd Death In 9 Months

GOLD BAR, WA - A woman was found dead in a pond at Wallace Falls State Park on Tuesday. The unidentified woman is the third person who has died at the park since July 2017.

According to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, a park visitor spotted the woman's body bobbing in a pond at the bottom of the falls around 4 p.m. Tuesday. The sheriff's office dive team recovered her body, and she will undergo examination at the county medical examiner's office to determine her cause of death.

The person who first spotted her body did not know the woman.

In September, Yuri Natanzon, 32, of Seattle, fell over into the falls while hiking with his family. Natanzon had reportedly been trying to retrieve his dog when he fell.

In July, Haylei Hughes, 18, died at the state park after she and two friends ventured out into the falls. She fell off the waterfall and into the Wallace River. Hughes had recently moved to the Seattle area to play soccer for the Seattle Stars FC in the Northwest Premier League.

The park is located north of Gold Bar off U.S. 2. The park's main attraction is its 265-foot waterfall, which is a relatively easy hike. The trail that follows alongside the falls gives hikers a chance to get within reach of the rushing water.

Image courtesy Washington State Parks