TILLAMOOK COUNTY, Ore. – An Oregon State University student in plunged to her death while taking scenic pictures along the Oregon Coast over the weekend.
The Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office said 21-year-old Michelle Casey fell nearly 100 feet from a Highway 101 viewpoint Sunday.
Her boyfriend said she landed in a tree, which prevented her from falling into the ocean.
It took rescuers more than two hours to pull her out.
Casey later died in the hospital.
Portland NBC affiliate KGW shared the following statement from Casey’s family:
“Michelle Casey was born in joy on Christmas Eve, 1997. From that moment, she was a gift to her family. She adored her family, cats and dogs. She loved being outdoors and was at the beach—her favorite place—on Sunday. Michelle always brought people together with her bubbly personality and loving, giving heart. Always active, she held a second-degree black belt in Tae kwon do, played volleyball and beach volleyball, and loved to work out. She loved singing in choir and her Starbucks customers as a barista in both Portland and Corvallis. As a sophomore at OSU, she was working toward a degree in kinesiology because she wanted to help people. Michelle had chosen to be an organ donor, a decision that saved two lives.”
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