Car Stuck on Cliff 100 Feet Below Oregon Coast 101, Near Cannon Beach

Published 02/02/25 at 7:29 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – An area of Highway 101 with extremely tight curves was the scene of a rescue Saturday night, with a car plummeting over 100 feet below the highway. (Photo Cannon Beach Fire)

Cannon Beach Firefighters (CBF) responded to call about 5:30 p.m. to a spot near Hug Point, with reports of a vehicle off the road.

“When the emergency crews arrived, they found a single vehicle over the side about 100 feet below Highway 101,” said Division Chief/Information Officer John Jerome. “Firefighters set up a rope rescue system while another team repelled down the hill.”

On a steep hill below the north Oregon coast highway, rescuers worked on stabilizing the vehicle and assessing the individual for injuries. Then they began removing the victim from the car.

“There was only one occupant in the car,” Jerome said.

Photo Cannon Beach Fire

Once crew were able to bring the victim back up onto the highway, they were assessed by paramedics from Medix Ambulance, then transported to a local hospital.

“The injuries appeared to be mild,” Jerome said.

Also see Driver Endangers Oregon Coast Beachgoers, Lincoln City Police Make Arrest for DUI 

Traffic on this part of the Oregon coast was closed for over two hours as the rescue operation took place, finally reopening the route between Cannon Beach and Nehalem about 8 p.m.

In this photo, you can see the kind of terrain just below the highway north of Hug Point (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Jerome said Oregon State Police are still investigating the cause of the incident.

In the photo set farther back (at top) you can see the guardrail has been broken.

More of this area (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

The section of Highway 101 just north of Hug Point is typified by winding turns and thick forest on steeply-sloped inclines or abrupt cliffs. It's not difficult to loose control here. The incident is a reminder to use a good degree of caution when driving these bends, especially with scenery popping out on occasion and perhaps becoming a distraction.

Last week, multiple agencies on the north Oregon coast – including CBF – had to respond to two different rescue incidents in one day. Two N. Oregon Coast Rescues Near Cannon Beach Involve Various Agencies - Video

Also see the words of caution about touching waterfowl on the coast as they may have bird flu. Do Not Touch Waterfowl Due to Bird Flu, That Includes Coastlines

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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