Mom, 2-year-old tumble up to 150 feet at an Oregon waterfall as onlookers rush to help

A mother and her 2-year-old daughter were hospitalized Sunday after plunging up to 150 feet off a trail at Multnomah Falls in Oregon, officials said.

Other hikers, including an off-duty emergency room doctor, rushed to help after witnessing the fall just after noon on Nov. 7, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

An onlooker had originally estimated the two fell 50 feet, but sheriff’s officials on Monday said an investigation showed they had fallen 100 to 150 feet.

“Someone had grabbed the baby from the mom, and then somebody else was down there with the mom, making sure she was okay,” hiker Ericka Klein told KATU. Others ensured trails were clear for emergency personnel to reach the two.

Onlookers said the child fell off the trail first, followed by her mother, KATU reported.

The two had non-life-threatening injuries, sheriff’s officials said. The sheriff’s office thanked onlookers for assisting the mother and child.

The waterfall is on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Troutdale. It is the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 2 million visitors annually, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Mom, 2-year-old tumble up to 150 feet at an Oregon waterfall as onlookers rush to help."