A 40-year-old man in the United States, father of five children, was killed in front of his family after he slipped and fell on the side of a mountain while hiking near Oregon's Multnomah Falls, as per a report in ABC News. The incident took place on July 2 around 2pm near Benson Bridge, a footbridge near Oregon's tallest 620-foot waterfall.
John Plock, a spokesperson for Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, told the outlet, "Mom, Dad, five kids were all here enjoying a beautiful day. And unfortunately, a tragic accident happened. At one point on the trail, the father slipped and fell and fell down the side of an embankment."
The officials further stated that alcohol was most likely the reason behind the fall of Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez.
According to Mr Plock, the family dialed the emergency number 911 for assistance. He added that the family and other witnesses present at the scene could not locate where he had landed. The Corbett Fire Department arrived at the location and launched a search operation for Mr Hernandez-Rodriguez.
After 45 minutes of frantic search operation led by rescue agencies and firefighters, they found the hiker dead, as per the officials.
"Nearly 2 million people visit Multnomah Falls every year but it's not just a leisurely walk where you show up with your flip-flops and you take a walk on a paved path. This is a hiking trail. You should be prepared for an actual hike with the proper footwear," Mr Plock continued.
Rick Wunsch, Chief of Corbett County Fire, mentioned that the heartbreaking accident took place on the "first big holiday week of the summer". "That's not the way we want to start our season," he told the outlet.
