Hiker dies after medical emergency on Angel’s Rest Trail in Columbia River Gorge

A hiker died Friday night on Angel’s Rest Trail in the Columbia River Gorge after suffering a medical emergency, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

The call came in at about 8:40 p.m. for a hiker experiencing a medical event about two miles from the trailhead. Other hikers began first aid and took turns performing CPR while Corbett Fire and the sheriff’s office responded.

By the time Corbett Fire personnel reached the man, he was dead, the sheriff’s office said. The Multnomah County Search and Rescue team was then activated, and volunteers helped bring his body safely down from the trail.

The report does not say what caused the medical emergency or identify the man. For families facing a sudden death outdoors, the first questions often involve the timeline, the emergency response, and which agency has the records. In a case like this, those records can matter when relatives are trying to understand what happened.

Incidents on remote trails can involve delayed access for rescuers and limited information in the first reports. If a death is under investigation, agencies may still be assembling details from witness accounts, radio traffic, and scene reports.

Families who need records after a sudden death may find that the sheriff’s office, search and rescue team, and fire responders each have separate information from the same event. Those records can help explain the response and the sequence of events.

Sources

1. Hiker dies of medical emergency on Angel's Rest Trail in Columbia River Gorge (opens in a new tab) - KATU, 2026-07-18