Woman hiking to waterfall with friends killed in 100-foot fall, Oregon sheriff says

A woman hiking to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge died after a 100-foot plunge off the trail, Oregon sheriff’s officials reported.

The woman, who fell while hiking with friends near Wiesendanger Falls, suffered a fatal head injury in the accident at about 1:15 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Firefighters and deputies responded while bystanders began CPR, but firefighters pronounced her dead after the 1.3-mile hike from the trailhead.

The woman and her companions were hiking on the Multnomah Falls-Larch Mountain Trail, sheriff’s officials said.

On Monday, Aug. 22, authorities identified her as Jessica Warejoncas, 62, of Minnesota, KATU reported.

The Columbia River Gorge is about 20 miles east of Portland.

The gorge is a “spectacular river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep,” the U.S. Forest Service said.

Multnomah Falls, another waterfall in the gorge, is the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 2 million visitors annually.

This story was originally published August 21, 2022 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Woman hiking to waterfall with friends killed in 100-foot fall, Oregon sheriff says."