The Brookings Police Department transferred a 911 call to the Curry County Sheriff’s Office Sunday afternoon, May 29th, reporting that a subject had fallen off a cliff at the Natural Bridges Viewpoint about twenty miles south of Gold Beach.
Sheriff’s Deputies, Search and Rescue and multiple other agencies including the Oregon State Police, Cal Ore Life Flight Ambulance, Brookings Fire and Cape Ferrelo Fire, immediately responded to the location.
Sheriff’s Deputies and an Oregon State Trooper arrived on scene and spoke with witnesses learning that fifty six year old Nam Ing of Penngrove California, was hiking with friends when he slipped from the trail and fell approximately 300 feet to the rocks on the shoreline below.
While coordinating responding resources, Curry County Sheriff’s Dispatch contacted the US Coast Guard and Reach Air for assistance, however due to the location, they were unable to assist.
One EMT with the Brookings Fire Department, who was also a Search & Rescue member, made his way down to the victim and relayed that the person was deceased. The Curry County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team set up a rope system and lowered one rescue rappeler down to the victim.
The Search & Rescue team along with fire volunteers, raised the rescuer and Ing back to the top where Ing had fallen from while a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that had responded, stood by in the area for safety reasons until they were no longer needed.
“This is such a tragedy,” a statement from the Curry County Sheriff’s Office read, “we send our condolences to the Ing family, and also want to remind everyone that the area of Natural Bridges is very beautiful and very dangerous.”
