Dad of 5 dies in 200-foot fall on family hike to waterfall, Oregon officials say

A father of five died on a family hike to Multnomah Falls after plummeting 200 feet from the trail, Oregon sheriff’s officials told news outlets.

The Beaverton man lost his footing and fell from a switchback on the trail at about 2 p.m. Saturday, July 1, Deputy John Plock with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office told KPTV.

“Mom, dad, five kids, all here enjoying a beautiful day at Multnomah Falls and unfortunately a tragic accident happened,” Plock told the station. His family was not with him when he fell.

“He slid down a steep hill and then fell off a cliff,” Plock told CNN. He was about a half-mile up the trail at the time.

Although officials initially reported the man, identified as 41-year-old Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, fell about 150 feet, he actually fell 200 feet, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The Corbett Fire District and sheriff’s search and rescue personnel responded, but the man died of his injuries, according to a Twitter post by firefighters.

It took rescuers about an hour to pinpoint the man’s location, KGW reported.

“Other people, including his family, were not able to see where he fell or where he was after the fall,” Plock told KATU.

The popular trail was full of visitors Saturday, KOIN reported. Officials warned hikers to be prepared and be careful on the unpaved hiking trail.

Multnomah Falls is in the Columbia River Gorge, about 30 miles east of Portland.

This story was originally published July 2, 2023 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Dad of 5 dies in 200-foot fall on family hike to waterfall, Oregon officials say."