George Willhoft, 20, of 705-Rear Broad St., was pronounced dead at Uniontown Hospital after being pulled from the water by a kayaker.
Stacie Faust, assistant park manager, said Willhoft and four friends were swimming in the river, where the water was more than 4 feet high because of recent rains. The water level above the falls is usually about 2 feet, she said.
Willhoft was in the middle of the river when he got caught in the swift current. He managed to grab a buoy line strung across the river before the falls and several people on shore attempted unsuccessfully to rescue him with a ring buoy.
A kayaker below the falls quickly retrieved Willhoft and cardiopulmonary rescusitation was attempted, Faust said. She said the high water level creates a strong hydraulic at the base of the falls that can hold a person under.
Several of Willhoft's friends also were swept downstream but managed to grab the buoy line and get to shore.
Faust said extra signs were posted warning people of the high water danger.