MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. — A woman took a deadly fall while hiking on a trail in the Columbia River Gorge on Sunday afternoon, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
On Monday, deputies identified her as 22-year-old Elisha Angelic Macias from Hillsboro.
Macias was hiking with a group of five friends at Horsetail Falls, officials said. At one point, the woman separated herself from the group, and she went off the trail and fell about 50 to 60 feet to her death, the sheriff's office said.
Other hikers performed CPR but were unable to save her.
Search and rescue teams arrived Sunday night along with the medical examiner and climbed the hillside to recover her body.
"For the friends that were with this young lady, our sympathy goes out to them," said Deputy John Plock with the sheriff's office. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them. It's very difficult for them."
"If you go off trail, it can be very dangerous," said Deputy Plock. "Unfortunately that’s what happened here. This young lady separated herself from her group, went off trail and ended up falling."
Macias was described as a creative and kind person in a statement to KGW from the Belmont Academy, where she worked with children.
"We’re terribly saddened to hear about Elisha tragically leaving us this weekend. She worked at Belmont Academy for about one year," stated Rose Benge, the assistant director at the academy. "She was a creative and kind person and loved the children she worked with. Our hearts go out to her family and friends while they navigate this difficult time."
This is the second hiker to die in the Columbia River Gorge this year. In March, a woman fell and died while hiking. Just a week ago, another woman hiking Dog Mountain on the Washington side of the gorge fell 300 feet. She survived.
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