Rescuers on Thursday retrieved the body found at the bottom of a cliff near Angel’s Rest trail in the Columbia River Gorge after a 22-hour operation, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.
The rough terrain and steep edges made the effort difficult and dangerous, said Christopher Van Tilburg, medical director of Hood River Crag Rats, a group of certified rescue volunteers.
Deputies received reports of a fallen hiker around 2 p.m. Wednesday, and Multnomah County Search and Rescue crews arrived around 4:30 p.m. They found the body roughly 2.5 miles from the trailhead, but they were unable to reach the area that day. Rescuers and a deputy spent the night at the top of Angel’s Rest.
A second search and rescue team and the Crag Rats hiked up the trail around 7:40 a.m. Thursday to assist with the recovery. Three rescuers descended to the bottom of the cliff and then navigated a steep embankment to get to the body, Van Tilburg said. They hoisted the body out of the area and back to the top of the trail around 11:50 a.m.
Rescue teams returned to the trailhead parking lot at 2:30 p.m. Medical examiners were at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
The hiker has not been identified. Investigators believe the person was alone when they fell.
The Crag Rats primarily deploy in Mt. Hood and the Gorge. This has been one of the most active years for the group, Van Tilburg said.
Less than a week ago, another hiker took a fatal 100-foot fall near Multnomah Falls. Jessica Warejoncas, 62, was hiking with a group and was found 1.3 miles up from the Multnomah Falls-Larch Mountain Trailhead.
“The Crag Rats have been around for 96 years, and this has been one of the busiest years we’ve ever had,” Van Tilburg said. “I’m glad people are getting out and enjoying the trails, but we really want them to be prepared.”
