22-Year-Old Woman Dead After Falling Off Cliff While Hiking with Friends: 'A Literal Angel'
Elisha Angelic Macia, 22, became separated from the group, and she eventually fell 50 to 60 feet near the Oregon trail, authorities said
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The Horsetail Falls at the Columbia River Gorge, OregonA 22-year-old woman died over the weekend after she fell while hiking with friends near the Oneonta Trail in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, authorities said.
The victim was identified as Elisha Angelic Macia, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“On Sunday, May 19, 2024, at approximately 4:20 p.m., Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to a call that a hiker had fallen from a cliff west of the Horsetail Falls trailhead. When deputies arrived, another hiker was performing CPR," the sheriff's office said. "Cascade Locks Fire & EMS personnel arrived and pronounced the hiker deceased at approximately 4:35 p.m."
Authorities said that during the hike, Macia became separated from her friends, and she eventually fell 50 to 60 feet.
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It remains unclear at this time how she plunged off the cliff. "No one in the group saw her fall,” the MCSO's statement read.
Related: Missing 22-Year-Old Hiker Found Dead in Calif. Wilderness Park: 'The Family Is Extremely Grieved'
Deputy John Plock stressed the importance of staying with a group while hiking, according to NBC affiliate KGW.
“If you go off trail, it can be very dangerous," he said. "Unfortunately, that’s what happened here. This young lady separated herself from her group, went off trail and ended up falling."
Related: Hiker Rescued 12 Hours After His Knee Got Stuck in Crack of Cliff
Following Macia’s death, a friend honored her in a post on Facebook, writing, "You were a literal angel."
“Even your middle name is 'angelic,' ” the woman added. "You were such a special soul on this planet! Your voice, personality etc! I’ll never forget how much fun we had together in 5th grade. You will be oh so missed!!”
According to KGW, Macia is the second hiker to die due to a fall in the Columbia River Gorge, following a woman who fell to her death in March.
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