Man helps rescue woman who fell off trail near Multnomah Falls

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, Ore. (KPTV) - A man is sharing his story after he helped save a woman who was dangling off a trail at Multnomah Falls.

Taylor Root says he was about a mile past the top of Multnomah Falls on Wednesday afternoon, shooting video for his YouTube channel. He passed two women on the trail but didn’t think much of it until a few seconds later when he heard a call for help.

When he went to check it out, he found a woman dangling off the side of the trail and her daughter struggling to hang on to her.

“Right away I jumped over her and I saw the other lady laying on her back, head was downhill as if you just sat on the trail and leaned yourself back. Feet were up in the air,” Root explained.

With only one arm, the daughter wasn’t able to pull her mom to safety but with Root’s help they finally got a firm grip.

“We just kind of together, worked together and figured it out as quickly as possible, and I was able to hoist her up, grabbed her arm and lifted her up on top of me,” Root said.

Root says he got to her just in time because the woman was starting to lose hope.

“It was sad because I distinctly remember her so vividly saying, ‘Just let me go,’ and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, she’s ready to die here,’” Root said.

Once she was safely back on the trail, her daughter gave her a grateful hug. Root says everyone’s heart was beating pretty fast but everybody seemed to be okay.

Root says it was a happy ending and a good reminder to be careful on slippery trails.

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