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'Do not jump from these falls': Chopper crew describes daring Wash. ravine rescue

"Do not jump from these falls. The water is not deep enough," said Skamania County Emergency Services spokeswoman Kaitlyn Hildenbrand.

STEVENSON, Wash. — A 52-year-old Gresham man who reportedly jumped off a cliff at Rock Creek Falls in Skamania County on Wednesday was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard chopper crew.

Initial reports indicated Robert J. Sellars fell, but the Coast Guard later said he jumped.

The rescue involved a daring descent into the ravine in Stevenson, Washington, where Sellars was hoisted up.

"Really once we got where we were at and we were stable it was just like we train," Pilot Lt. Kyle Murphy told KGW. "I felt it went really, really smooth, even that close to the wall."

The chopper crew had to be careful, not just hoisting up Sellars but making sure observers on the ground were not pummeled with rocks kicked up by the blades, said flight mechanic Jacob Lee, who operates the winch.

"When we're in there, I'm watching around the helicopter, watching the cliffs, watching the tail, the rotor system, making sure we don't run into anything," said Lee.

The falls used to be a very popular place for people to jump in to the river, but several years ago a landslide changed the river flow through the area and left the water much more shallow than before.

“It is extremely unsafe,” said Skamania County Emergency Services spokeswoman Kaitlyn Hildenbrand. "Do not jump from these falls. The water is not deep enough."

Sellars hit his feet on the bottom of the river, which Hildenbrand estimates is roughly 15-feet deep. Sellars reportedly had no feeling below his waistline, the Coast Guard said. His exact condition was not available.

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