The teenager who died in an incident at Gibraltar Falls has been identified as 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone.
Mr Livingstone was a resident of the Australian National University's Ursula Hall. He is believed to have slipped while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall on Sunday.
A former student of Sydney Church of England Grammar School, Mr Livingstone was an accomplished rower within both his high school and university clubs.
The ANU Boat Club put out a message to its community this week, acknowledging the death of one of its members.
"An ANU student, Tom was also a first-class rower," the club wrote.
"He had been NSW champion in the schoolboy eights and U21 eights, and was a medallist at the 2022 Australian championships in the club and open men's eights."
ANU has also reached out to residents of the on-campus accommodation where Mr Livingstone was living this year. The university acknowledged many students are likely to have been affected and offered support services both on campus and within the community.
Mr Livingstone was reportedly visiting the falls with friends when the tragedy occurred. Gibraltar Falls has since been closed to the public while an investigation into safety precautions at the site is conducted.
While the ACT government has not ruled out permanent closure of the site, it is understood making it an offence to visit the falls is considered a last resort.
An inspection led by ACT Conservator Flora and Fauna Bren Burkevics on Wednesday identified multiple safety signs, some of which were erected in response to a review several years ago, remained in place, warning against leaving paths.
Extra signage, an additional viewing platform and the rewilding of trails to prevent visitors veering off tracks will likely be considered to allow for the opening of Gibraltar Falls in coming weeks.
Next steps following the inspection will include exploring what else can be done to change behaviour at Gibraltar Falls, to encourage the site to be seen as a bushwalking destination rather than a swimming hole.
At present, up to 600 people are visiting the area on a single day over the weekends, many arriving by car with the intention to swim and picnic. The consumption of alcohol has also reportedly increased as the demographic has changed to more younger visitors.
Social media has contributed to the popularity of Gibraltar Falls, a particular photo from the rock pools increasingly featuring on Instagram over recent years.
There is no indication Mr Livingstone was taking photos or consuming alcohol at the time of the incident.
Limiting access to the area or erecting additional fencing could have impacts for other popular walks within ACT parks and reserves, with Mount Gingera and Mount Bimberi summit walks both identified as potential risk if undertaken without caution.
Mr Burkevics said ACT Parks and Conservation Service advises against swimming or walking in non-designated areas within parks and reserves.
He said visitors should always follow signage and advice from staff and stick to formed walking tracks.
"This tragic incident is a sad and unfortunate reminder of the risks that exist in Canberra's wonderful outdoors and the need for visitors to not put themselves in unnecessary danger," he said.
A report into the teenager's death is currently being prepared for the coroner. A decision on whether a coronial inquest will take place is expected to take some time.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
