The family of a Queanbeyan man who slipped and fell at Gibraltar Falls say they have shattered hearts after losing a young man who had so much life in front of him.
Patrick Prevett, 22, was found dead at the falls around 6.05pm on Saturday. The Queanbeyan man was the second person to fall and die at the location in less than a week.
The upper section of the falls had been taped off to the public after incident six days earlier, when 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone is believed to have slipped while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall.
The area has now been closed off indefinitely, and the ACT government is considering what further it can do to improve safety at Gibraltar Falls.
A GoFundMe page set up for Mr Prevett described how his death had "shattered the hearts of so many family and friends".
"On Saturday Pat went to the local waterfall with his sister and friends," the post said.
"Sadly due to a very devastating accident, Pat slipped at the top of the waterfall and was later recovered by emergency services.
"We are raising funds to help celebrate and remember Patrick Prevett, and give him the ceremony and send off he deserves.
"Devastatingly the Prevett family has lost a son, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a friend. Pat was a young and kind-hearted man who had so much life in front of him.
"No family should have to organise a funeral for their son, especially at the young age of 22. As we mourn the loss of a special soul, any donation small or large is greatly appreciated by the Prevett family during this difficult time.
"All donations will contribute to the cost of the funeral to help take the burden off the Prevett family."
'We'll all miss you mate'
Mr Prevett, who worked as a bricklayer at Canberra business CTR Pacific, was remembered as someone who would "give the shirt off his back for anyone".
"It's with a heavy heart that we have to let you know that the young man who passed away at Gibralter Falls on Saturday was one of our bricklayers, Pat Prevett," the company wrote in a Facebook post on Monday evening.
"Pat was a young country boy from Orange, who would honestly give the shirt off his back for anyone, he was loved and respected by all and we'll all miss you mate."
"It's another reminder of how precious life is, please make sure we cherish every moment with our loved ones guys."
'Shock across the service'
Meanwhile, a senior government official said that there was "a shock across the service" after the weekend incident.
The ACT government's Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development directorate is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of tracks and pathways in the area, and general safety for visitors.
A hand rail and a maintained track is in place at Gibraltar Falls which guides visitors to a lower location where they can admire the falls and take photographs.
However, there is an informal track to the top of the falls and the water pools there and several other tricky access points further down the rock faces, with many visitors unable to resist the lure of the cool, flowing waters during hot weather.
A log railing is in place across the top and signs to warn people of the danger.
On Saturday around 5.25pm, an alert went out that a 22-year-old man had fallen at the falls and could not be found.
Police from Tuggeranong Station, ACT Ambulance Service paramedics, ACT Fire & Rescue members and the Toll Rescue Helicopter were dispatched to the location.
About 6.05pm Mr Prevett was found unconscious in the water and was unable to be revived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
This incident followed on from six days earlier in which 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone is believed to have slipped while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall.
The area was closed off after the first incident and had been when the second incident occurred.
Geoffrey Rutledge, the deputy director-general of the directorate, told ABC Radio on Monday that the incident "made us have a little rethink to see if there's anything further we can do that is practical, proportionate, but still encourages people to engage with nature, which is what we want everyone to do".
"This [series of incidents] has been a shock across the service."
Mr Rutledge admitted that there previously had been minor incidents at the falls from time to time which had required emergency services to be called. He said most of these were slips, falls and sprains.
He said Gibraltar Falls had "clear signage" and barriers, which were designed to ensure people safely enjoyed the views without getting too close to dangerous cliff edges.
He added that the signage showed the government did not want people swimming there.
"We have many swimming holes in our parks," Mr Rutledge said.
"We don't consider Gibraltar Falls a swimming hole."
A 2022 publication Broadsheet, produced in partnership with Visit Canberra, described Gibraltar Falls as having an "natural pools that are perfect for a relaxing afternoon in the sun".
"It does get busy on hot days, so consider going early or late (try sunset for the perfect Instagram shot)," the publication says.
The ACT coroner will be investigating both deaths.
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