Tragedy at Multnomah Falls

Father Dies After Falling from Cliff While Hiking Near Waterfall

Authorities respond after a hiker died near Multnomah Falls. Photo Courtesy:CORBETT FIRE

Authorities say a father died over the weekend when he fell roughly 200 feet (61 meters) while hiking with his wife and five children in Oregon.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office on Monday identified the man as 41-year-old Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez of Beaverton, Oregon.

Hernandez-Rodriguez was hiking with his family on a popular trail near Multnomah Falls, the state’s tallest waterfall, on Saturday, the sheriff’s office said. He stumbled and fell from a switchback not far from the falls and the scenic Benson Bridge, roughly 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) east of Portland.

Sheriff’s deputies and a U.S. Forest Service ranger began to search the area, asking a nearby police department for a drone to help search the steep and largely inaccessible terrain.

A sheriff’s deputy found Hernandez-Rodriguez at the base of a cliff near a highway, directly below the trail where he slipped. He did not survive the fall, the sheriff’s office said, and officials believe alcohol impairment was a contributing factor in the fall.

More than 2 million people go to Multnomah Falls each year, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The sheriff’s office said hikers in the Columbia River Gorge should have appropriate footwear and equipment, watch where they step and keep children within reach.