On Saturday 02/18/2023 at approximately 4:22pm, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a man had fallen off a cliff located between the Aufderheide Hwy (USFS Rd. 19) and Cougar Reservoir, near the Terwilliger Hot Springs. First responders arrived and were able to see the man lying motionless on the ground at the bottom of a cliff, but due to the extreme terrain, the rescuers were not able to immediately reach him. Lane County Sheriff Search and Rescue personnel had also been enroute and upon arrival used ropes to rappel down the cliff. The victim, a 22-year old man from the Salem area, was determined to be deceased. His identity is being withheld at this time. Preliminary investigation shows that the man’s fall was likely accidental.
