JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — A hiker died after reportedly falling on the Rogue River Trail.
The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said at 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, an uninjured hiker on the trail near Black Bear Lodge sent a message via satellite reporting a fellow hiker who fell and was unconscious.
Due to the remote location, the sheriff’s office asked for help from the U.S. Coast Guard.
At about 8:32 p.m., a Coast Guard helicopter found the man who fell on a large cliff between the Rogue River Trail and the Rogue River.
The man was extracted via helicopter and taken to the Merlin Airport where he was pronounced dead.
Deputies identified the man as 77-year-old Ernest Boltz from Wenatchee, Washington.
The sheriff’s office said as of Wednesday morning, search and rescue personnel are trying to contact the hiker who was with Boltz.
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