Man Died in Front of His Wife and 5 Children After Falling on a Hiking Trail in Oregon

Authorities say a 40-year-old hiker died over the weekend after he slipped and plummeted down a mountainside in front of his wife and five children near Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

The incident occurred around 2 pm Saturday, half a mile from the iconic Benson Bridge, a pedestrian bridge near Oregon's highest waterfall, the 620-foot Mulnomah Falls, authorities said.

“Mom, dad, five kids were all here enjoying a beautiful day. And unfortunately, a tragic accident occurred,” said John Plock, a spokesman for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, according to News.

“At one point along the way, the father slipped and fell and fell down the side of an embankment,” he said.

Plock said the man, whose name has not been released revealed, he fell 100 to 150 feet down the embankment along the Columbia River Freeway.

The man's family called 911 for help and said they could not see where he landed.

Corbett Fire Department responded to the scene and found the man within 45 minutes, but he was already dead.

“With the help of volunteers and other search-and-rescue agencies, firefighters were able to find the man and recover his body,” Plock said.

The county fire marshal Corbett's Rick Wunsch said the fatal incident occurred in the first big week of summer vacation.

The incident left other hikers in the area in shock.

Plock said that the fatal incident occurred in an area popular for hikers in the Columbia River Gorge.

A 62-year-old woman who was walking with a group of friends in the same area in August 2022 died when she fell and suffered a fatal head injury, according to authorities.

Close to 2 million “of people visit Multnomah Falls each year, but it's not just a leisurely hike where you turn up in your flip-flops and walk down a paved path,” Plock said.

“This is a hiking trail. You must be prepared for a real walk with the right footwear”, alerted.