Photo: Curry County Sheriff's office
A 69-year-old man fell to his death on Sunday (April 21) while hiking the Natural Bridges trail along the Oregon coast with his wife. The Curry County Sheriff's Office said that Richard Ehrhart got separated from his wife and fell 300 feet, landing on the rocks below.
His wife returned to their vehicle and didn't know that her husband had fallen.
Around 2:35 p.m., another hiker called 911 after seeing a man who appeared to be deceased on the rocks below. The Curry County Search and Rescue Team responded, and two officers rappelled down to reach Ehrhart's body.
Due to the steep and rocky terrain, they requested help carrying the body back to the trail. Working with several members of the Cape Ferello and Brookings Fire Departments and a United States Forest Service officer, they carried the body back to the parking lot.
"We here at the Curry County Sheriff's Office express our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Ehrhart. We also want to remind everyone of the dangers of hiking the coastal trails, and to please be safe," the Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.