Fall from horse near Culver kills Estacada woman

An Estacada woman suffered fatal injuries over the weekend when she fell from her horse, tumbled downhill and struck a tree on a trail near Culver, Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said Monday.

Deputies were notified around 11:45 a.m. Saturday of a medical emergency on a trail south of the Cyrus Horse Camp near Culver, Adkins said.

Several people were riding horses on the trail system when the lead horse began walking backwards downhill, the sheriff said.

The woman riding the horse, Dianne Lomeli, 68, of Estacada, fell backwards from her horse and continued downhill, stopping when she struck a tree, he said.

A man riding with Lomeli tried to do CPR, but was unable to revive her, Adkins said.

A sheriff’s deputy and medical personnel walked the trail system to find Lomeli, while an Air Link helicopter landed on a nearby butte and its crew was able to walk down to her.

EMS personnel and a deputy arrived at her location around 12:50 p.m., but she had died, the sheriff said.