Hiker from California Dies After Falling Off Steep Cliff at S. Oregon Coast's Natural Bridges

Published 4/25/24 at 5:25 a.m.
By Andre' Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Brookings, Oregon) – A couple who were hiking near the Natural Bridges attraction of the south Oregon coast this past weekend became separated and one fell off a cliff to his death, Curry County authorities say. (Photo and graphic Oregon Coast Beach Connection).

It is the second hiking death in a year in that area.

The incident happened on Sunday, April 21, when Curry County sheriff's said they received a 911 call routed from Brookings Police Dispatch around 2:35 p.m., with a hiker reporting he had seen the body of a deceased person below one of the cliffs. The hiker was near the Natural Bridges, which is about 12 miles north of Brookings.

According to the Curry County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded along with an Oregon State Trooper, and eventually the county's Search and Rescue team (SAR). Crews soon realized the victim was some 300 feet down.

More help was needed.

All photos of the body recovery: Curry County Sheriffs

“The Curry County Sheriff’s SAR team were summoned to respond,” the Sheriff's office said in a release. "Several SAR members set up a raising system and SAR members Andy Stubbs and Tim Hawkins rappelled approximately 300’ down to the victim.”

Curry County Sheriffs

The area is part of the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor and quite remote. That factor, along with a very steep terrain and drop-off, resulted in additional assistance being called to the scene. The Sheriff's office said fire department personnel were brought in from Cape Ferello and Brookings, as well as a US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer. All were needed to help set up a complex pulley system so crews could get down the body as well as carry the victim back to the parking lot.

“The victim was identified as sixty-nine-year-old Richard Ehrhart from San Jose, California,” the department said.

Curry County Sheriffs

Ehrhart had been hiking on the coastal Oregon trail with his wife when they became separated. She made it back to the couple's car without knowing he had tumbled off a cliff.

“A Chaplin had been called and responded to assist with the notification to Ehrhart’s wife, Susan Kimura,” the Sheriff's Office said. “The Oregon State Police is the lead agency for the investigation and has provided the information to the Curry County District Attorney.”

Curry County officials want to remind the public to keep safety in mind out on those often-steep trails.

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

The incident comes almost exactly a year after another man died on a similar trail in that area. On April 22 of 2023, Curry County Sheriff deputies spent five and a half hours rescuing three kids and one adult after they fell off a false trail near Secret Beach, which is just a few miles away from the Natural Bridges. The four had tumbled off a cliff near the Spruce Island View Point, just a bit north of Secret Beach. See One Deceased in Harrowing Fall, Rescue on S. Oregon Coast - Near Brookings

One child was found hanging precariously in a tree somewhere down the 200-foot drop to the bottom. He was eventually rescued by helicopter and sent to the hospital, but only after fog lifted and allowed the aircraft to come into the area.

The other three children were located at the bottom and brought up. The man, 36-year-old Ryan Acorn, had died from the fall.

The four from Grants Pass had made the wrong decision and went down a false trail, according to deputies, which abruptly ended in a cliff, causing them to tumble.

Many locals and regulars to the area commented on social media the area should have these false trails better marked and even cordoned off. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

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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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