A young tourist visiting Oregon's famous 'Blue Pool' has died after jumping into the frigid waters. 

Kenny Truong, 21, was at Tamolitch Falls with friends when he plunged into the sparkling blue pool, which officials have warned is deceivingly dangerous. 

The business student, who went to Wichita State University, was struggling to get out of the water just before 9pm on Friday, according to the local sheriff's office.

Witnesses who called 911 said Truong, from Kansas, was struggling to swim toward shore before submerging. First responders attended the scene, but he did not survive.

'Tamolitch Falls is a breathtaking destination visited by people from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond,' a spokesman for the Linn County Sheriff's Office said. 

'It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing.' 

The cliffs surrounding the Blue Pool are between ten and 60 feet. The water averages 37 degrees Fahrenheit, which is cold enough to cause immediate physical shock.

Officials also warned that cell reception is limited in the area, making it difficult to alert first responders in an emergency.  

Truong was set to graduate in October, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

'Kenny had this fire in him. He wanted to succeed so badly, not just for himself, but for every single person he cared about,' one of his friends described him in the description of a GoFundMe. 

Truong was praised for his positivity and warmth. 'That's a rare gift, and Kenny gave it freely to everyone he met,' the fundraiser continued. 

'It didn't matter who you were or where you came from, if you were in Kenny's circle, you were loved, and you knew it.' 

The proceeds from the GoFundMe will be given to Truong's family to support funeral expenses. 

The hike to the Blue Pool has been described as challenging because of its 'rough, rocky terrain' by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 

The Forest Service has also stated that emergency responders may take hours to arrive if needed. 

The Blue Pool has plagued emergency responders for years. In 2013, a University of Oregon tennis player named Alex Rovello died after diving 60 feet into the Blue Pool. 

Two years later, a photographer fell 45 feet into shallow waters and died after hitting his head. 

However, swimming in the Blue Pool is not prohibited. Following a string of rescues in 2023, officials proposed a ban but the rule was never enacted. 

'Once people go there, there’s no way to control what they do. I don’t know that people understand how serious the dangers are,' Darren Cross, McKenzie River district manager for the Willamette National Forest, told Oregon Live at the time. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the GoFundMe organizers for additional comment.