California man dies from 350-foot fall on Oregon Coast

A 69-year-old man from San Jose, Calif. fell 350 feet to his death on April 21 while hiking near Natural Bridges on the Southern Oregon coast, 12 miles north of Brookings.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 69-year-old man from San Jose, Calif. fell 350 feet to his death on April 21 while hiking near Natural Bridges on the Southern Oregon coast, 12 miles north of Brookings.

Curry County Sheriff John Ward told KOIN 6 News that the victim, Richard Ehrhart, was hiking a coastal trail when he became separated from his wife. At 2:35 p.m. authorities received a 911 call from a hiker who found a body lying on a rock hundreds of feet below the trail.

“Ehrhart had been hiking with his wife and they had separated on the trail and the wife returned to their car, unknowingly that her husband had fallen,” Ward said.

Ward said that Ehrhart is believed to have died instantly after falling onto the rocky beach below. Multiple agencies assisted with the recovery of Ehrhart’s body, including the Curry County Sheriff’s Office, the Brookings Police Department, Oregon State Police, the Cape Ferrelo Rural Fire Protection District and Brookings Fire & Rescue.

Ehrhart’s wife was informed of the fall and his body was transported to Redwood Memorial Chapel in Brookings.

“We here at the Curry County Sheriff’s Office express our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Ehrhart,” the CCSO stated in a press release. “We also want to remind everyone of the dangers of hiking the coastal trails, and to please be safe.”