Oregon State University student, Michelle Casey falls 100ft to her death from cliff while taking photos along Neahkahnie Mountain outside Portland.
An Oregon State University student died Sunday after falling 100ft while taking photos with her boyfriend at a scenic coast viewpoint along Highway 101, according to the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials identified the victim as 21 year old woman, Michelle Casey of Portland. The student was seriously injured when she slipped and fell while taking pictures at Neahkahnie Mountain, KOIN reported.
Casey’s boyfriend told deputies that she landed in a tree, which prevented her from falling into the Pacific Ocean, the sheriff’s office said in a press release on Monday.
‘Assistance was requested from Cannon Beach for a Rope Rescue and they dispatched a High Angle Rescue Team who arrived at approximately 10:51 AM,’ the release said.
First responders told KPTV that the extrication and rescue were difficult, and it took the rope team two hours to reach her. Casey was flown to a Portland hospital, where she died from injuries sustained in the fall.
“She has the most giving, loving heart of anyone I know”
A Happy Valley mother shared precious photos of her 21-year-old daughter, Michelle Casey.
Michelle was studying kinesiology at @OregonState. She died yesterday after falling while taking photos at Neahkahnie Mountain pic.twitter.com/lCeBeKxG5M
— Kandra Kent (@KandraKPTV) May 21, 2019
Michelle Casey OSU student saves two lives:
Following the weekend tragedy, Casey’s family said she had chosen to be an organ donor, a decision that they said saved two lives.
‘Michelle always brought people together with her bubbly personality and loving, giving heart,’ her family said in a released statement. ‘She loved being outdoors and was at the beach—her favorite place—on Sunday.’
A graduate of Clackamas High School according to her Facebook profile, Casey was a junior at Oregon State’s main campus in Corvallis. She was majoring in kinesiology, according to Oregon State Vice President of University Relations and Marketing Steve Clark.
‘As a university community, we mourn at the loss of a community member — and certainly one so young,’ Clark told CNN in an email.
The university is offering supporting and counseling services to students, faculty and staff, and has reached out to members of Casey’s family, Clark says.
‘Michelle Casey was born in joy on Christmas Eve, 1997,’ her family noted in a statement. ‘From that moment, she was a gift to her family.’
Tyson Zagelow, Casey’s friend, described her as adoring her family and enjoying her time in choir.
‘I just want people to basically know that she’s just the most loving person that I’ve probably ever known,’ he added.
Zagelow shared that he saw Casey on Friday.
He continued: ‘We just said hi and talked a little bit. I didn’t hear from her from the weekend.’
‘(Michelle is) the type of person that you could be driving down the road and she’ll make you roll down the windows and you’ll be blaring a song, screaming it out loud.’
VINTAGE – 1950’s Postcard – Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint – Oregon – Paper Ephemera: https://t.co/Og02KZhpyO #etsy pic.twitter.com/eeNmWVwKzA
— Belle’s (@belleshoppe333) March 30, 2016
At the top of Neahkahnie Mountain at the #Oregon coast. pic.twitter.com/q9tF2sFH9f
— Tommy Thayer (@tommy_thayer) May 24, 2014
