Driver found ‘frozen to the ground’ as SUV dangles off cliff dies, Oregon officials say
.jpg "A man died after being found “frozen to the ground” in 2-degree weather as his SUV dangled off a cliff, according to Oregon officials.")
A man died after being found “frozen to the ground” in 2-degree weather as his SUV dangled off a cliff, according to Oregon officials.
A passerby called 911 on Jan. 14 saying they saw what looked like a car that had “driven over the canyon edge,” Redmond Police Department Sgt. Jonny Dickson said in a Jan. 14 report.
When he arrived, Dickson said he saw a Toyota 4Runner with its front end “hanging over the edge of the cliff.”
Dickson used an easement to get closer to the SUV, according to the report. As he approached the car, he did not see any footprints.
However, “the vehicle was running, and I could hear a warning buzzer going,” Dickson said.
The driver door was open, Dickson said, leading him to assume the driver may “have climbed down the canyon wall.”
As Dickson was searching around, he said he looked down to see “a human figure in a crevice about 5 feet below” and called for medics.
Dickson realized the driver likely exited the SUV and fell down the crevice, according to the report.
After making his way to the man, who was unresponsive but breathing shallowly, Dickson said he tried to move him.
However, Dickson could not, as the man “appeared to be frozen to the ground below,” the report says.
As Dickson awaited for fire medics to arrive, he freed the man’s left arm from the ground and used a rescue strap to place the man “in the best breathing position.”
Dickson also noticed the man had a “bump on his forehead,” which was likely from his fall from the SUV, according to the report.
After fire medics arrived on scene, Dickson said the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The man, who has been identified as Jason Gerhart, 38, later died at the hospital, a spokesperson for the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office said in an email to McClatchy News.
Dickson said he found no evidence that Gerhart was speeding, adding that his condition was likely the result of falling from the SUV and “exposure to cold weather elements.”
