Teen falls 80 feet from Oregon trail, is rescued after 5 hours
SCOTTS MILLS, Ore. (KOIN) – A teenager who fell about 80 feet from the Abiqua Trail Head was rescued and airlifted to a Salem hospital Saturday afternoon.
The 16-year-old girl was with her family on a hike when she fell shortly before 4 p.m., the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Other hikers on the trail came to the girl’s aid and helped her until rescuers could arrive.
First responders from the Scotts Mills Fire Department and the Mt. Angel Fire Department called for help from the Salem Fire Department rope rescue team.
It took nearly five hours for the teen to be carried from the canyon. She was then taken by Life Flight to the Salem Hospital. The family requested their names and the teen’s condition remain private.
OregonHikers.org said the Abiqua Trailhead “is part of the same geological formation as the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park, and in fact is not far from there as the crow flies (although significantly longer in distance when going by road). It is completely unsigned, and the trail is a bit rough, but it’s worth it.” The hike is rated moderately difficult.