(USNewsBreak.com) – Many people enjoy hiking as exercise or a way to take in nature’s beautiful scenery. However, it can also be a dangerous activity. It’s possible to die while hiking because of falls, the elements, or a combination of other factors. Sadly, one man who was out on an Oregon trail with his wife recently fell to his death.
On Sunday, April 21, 69-year-old Richard Ehrhart of San Jose, California, was hiking near Natural Bridges with his wife when he suddenly fell 300 feet. His wife reportedly didn’t see him fall because she had returned to their car.
Another hiker saw what they thought was a body on the rocks below the trail and called 911. Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including deputies and a search and rescue team. They headed down 300 feet to recover his body. Because of “the location and steep terrain,” they had to call in additional help, per a statement from the Curry County Sheriff’s Office. Rescuers carried Ehrhart’s body back to the trails where authorities identified him. Responders called in a chaplain to help deliver the news to his wife.
California man falls 300 feet to death while hiking with wife along Oregon coast https://t.co/sBw3gDapLz
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2024
Now, state troopers are investigating the nature of his fall, and a medical examiner will determine his cause of death.
Park Rangers consider the trail an easy hike with marked paths, though it does have steep cliffs. The Curry County Sheriff’s Office wanted “to remind everyone of the dangers of hiking the coastal trails” and asked outdoor enthusiasts, “please be safe.” They suggested sticking to marked trails, carrying appropriate equipment when necessary, and avoiding steep cliffs and drops.
Sadly, this wasn’t the only hiking death this month. In Sedona, Arizona, 40-year-old Zaynab Joseph fell off a cliff while hiking with her husband and one-year-old son on Bear Mountain. Rescuers found her alive, but she succumbed to her injuries shortly after.
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