Oregon Hiker Rescued After 60' Treacherous Fall

A 24 year old man was walking the trails in Molalla State Park next to the river in the park when he slipped and fell down a 60'cliff.

Emergency personnel in action. Photo: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

(CANBY, Ore.) - On Wednesday about 5:00 PM the Clackamas County Communications Center (CCOM) received an emergency cell phone call from an injured man, 24-year old Nathan Stewart, of West Linn, who had fallen off a cliff while hiking.

Officials say that Nathan Stewart was in distress, injured, may have been unconscious for an unknown period of time and having difficulty breathing.

When Stewart regained conscious he dialed 911 not knowing for sure where he was at he told 911 dispatchers he was at the park by the river.

Stewart described to the dispatcher how he had been hiking in the Molalla River State Park, and had fallen from a hiking trail an estimated 60'. Consequently, all of his back-packing equipment remained on the trail overhead; however, with good fortune his cell phone had also survived the 60' fall from the trail with Nathan.

Dispatchers kept him on the phone while firefighter searched the over grown areas. Quick thinking by Canby firefighter asked for Clackamas fire district heavy rescue 4 so when the person was found the specially trained rope team could bring him up the cliff.

While searching the Medic crew was turning around to search another area when dispatcher said "The victim can hear a back up alarm." FF Vroman said, "I looked over the cliff and spotted a white tennis shoe and a little spot of blue jeans."

Canby Fire Rescue personnel were able to locate Nathan within 20-minutes of being dispatched to the scene. Firefighters made their way to the victim, and Nathan Stewart was located an estimated one-quarter mile inside the Molalla Park. He was treated and prepared for the extrication up the cliff.

Life Flight was alerted and responded to the scene – airlifting a conscious and breathing Nathan to Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital, in Portland.

A Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputy on the scene reports that Nathan Stewart was expressing to paramedics prior to lift-off the discomfort he was experiencing with his hip, rib cage and knee.

With the fall rains over the past few days, this near-tragic story reminds hikers that trails usually easily hiked now can be very slick and dangerous. Care must be taken when hiking these areas.