Friends try to save teen trapped underwater at whitewater park, Oregon officials say

A 17-year-old boy died Saturday, April 30, after becoming trapped in underwater rocks at Bend Whitewater Park, Oregon officials said.

The teen had been surfing with friends when he vanished beneath the water at 12:20 p.m., a news release by Bend firefighters and police said.

His friends and bystanders pulled the teen from the water, but he died at a hospital after emergency crews tried to revive him for 30 minutes, the release said.

His family identified him as Ben Murphy of Bend in a Facebook post, The Bulletin reported.

“Our thoughts are with the individual and their friends and family as we are awaiting additional information,” wrote Bend Parks & Recreation District officials in a Facebook post.

Wave features at the whitewater park have been shut down for the time being, the post said.

The district said it was the first such incident at the park since it opened in 2015, KTVZ reported.

The whitewater park is along the Deschutes River in Bend, a city of nearly 94,000 people in central Oregon. The park “offers a variety of river recreation opportunities including tubing, kayaking, and surfing,” according to its website.

This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Friends try to save teen trapped underwater at whitewater park, Oregon officials say."