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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Charlie Jones

Dad falls 200ft to his death from cliff in front of wife and five kids on family hike

A dad died in front of his horrified children and wife after falling 200 feet down a cliff while on a family hike.

Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, from Beaverton, Oregon, stumbled before falling down the cliff on a popular trail near Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest waterfall.

The 41-year-old did not survive the fall, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office office said, and officials believe alcohol impairment was "likely a contributing factor in the fall."

The shocking incident happened in front of his five children on Saturday July 1.

As soon as authorities were informed a search was launched and sheriff's deputies and a US Forest Service ranger began to search the area.

A drone was deployed to help search the steep and largely inaccessible terrain.

Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, is a popular visitor attraction (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Mr Hernandez-Rodriguez' body was found at the base of a cliff near a highway, directly below the trail where he fell.

"It was initially believed Hernandez fell approximately 100-150 feet," the sheriff's office said. "After further investigation, it is estimated that Hernandez fell nearly 200 feet."

Multnomah Falls is visited by around two million people each year and is the most visited outdoor nature site in the Pacific Northwest.

Last August, a woman fell about 100 feet and died in the same area.

Sign welcoming visitors to Multnomah Falls (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"We encourage all who come to hike and explore the Columbia River Gorge to be prepared," the sheriff's office said. "Before leaving home, learn more about the hiking trail or destination, consider footwear and pack the ten essentials. On the trail, be aware of your surroundings, watch where you step and keep children in reach."

A fundraiser for Mr Hernandez was launched to help the family in this difficult time. It read: "Gerardo was hiking with his family when tragedy happened and he slipped down a cliff. He was an amazing husband and incredible father to 5 kids.

"Now there's a single mom with five kids and she needs help with the funeral. He was one of our best co-worker here at the restaurant. He was super hardworking,would get along with everyone here at the restaurant, never had no problem with anyone."

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