SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A 22-year-old man died while jumping off a cliff at a popular swimming area in Spokane County over the weekend.
The assistant chief with Fire District 9 says the man accidentally hit his head on a rock and died while jumping at "The Cove" on Long Lake.
Authorities say the man was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he died.
A few off-duty firefighters were boating nearby at the time, heard the commotion and came to help the man. But it was too late when they got there.
Fire officials noted how remote "The Cove" is and response times are often long.
Fire District 9 says the accident appears to be the first death at "The Cove." While deaths there are rare, injuries are not. Firefighters say they’ve responded to several injuries over the years with many people hurting their legs and backs.
The area is located west of Tum Tum, and features cliffs and areas to jump into the lake.
"The times I've gone, there have been a lot of people there just hanging out. Boats in the water. People jumping, hanging out,” said visitor Bryn Redal. “The tallest one you kind of have to jump out a fair amount of distance.”
The area is owned by the state and is managed by state parks, but it isn't technically a fully developed park.