Teenager Dies In Fall From Oregon Coast Cliff

A Kennewick teenager fell some 200 feet to his death Saturday night and two passers-by were seriously hurt while trying to rescue his brother from a cliff at Ecola State Park.

Rusty Riggle, 16, was dead when rescuers arrived, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Sandoval.

Rusty and his 15-year-old brother, Chad, had been climbing Chapman Point, a rocky cliff that juts out over the surf, when Chad became stuck. Rusty fell to his death trying to reach him.

John and Cindra Gray of Dundee were walking along the beach below with their two children, enjoying the sunset, when they heard Chad’s cries for help.

“My daughter and I ran to call (for help), to the nearest house,” Cindra Gray told KGW-TV of Portland. “And my son - impulsive - took off over the top of the rocks.”

“I think he thought he was going to help him, so my husband then took after him,” she said.

When rescuers found John Gray, 41, and his 15-year-old son Adam, the pair had fallen at least 50 feet.

John Gray was in critical condition Sunday evening at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland with a broken pelvis and broken legs. Adam suffered chest injuries and was in serious condition.

Chad Riggle was rescued safely at 1 a.m. Sunday by the High Angle Rescue Team, a group of volunteers trained in cliff rescues.

He and his parents left Cannon Beach on Sunday morning to return home.