Oregon resident survives 100 foot fall down oceanside cliff

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — A Portlander now has an incredible story to tell after falling 100 feet off an oceanside cliff and surviving.

Gil Tighe is now recovering after breaking their arm and fracturing several bones including their other arm, tailbone, ribs, eye socket and nose.

Tighe considers themself fortunate it wasn’t worse, considering it’s very rare to live to tell that kind of fall.

Taking it all in stride, the 25-year-old can joke about the experience just days after the brush with death.

“I put this shirt on today by myself which is a big accomplishment for me,” Tighe said Tuesday.

It was on Friday that Tighe and their partner went to celebrate Tighe’s birthday with a trip to Hug Point near Seaside.

High tide made it so the couple couldn’t access their favorite part of the beach from the shoreline, so they tried to make their way down some crude trails taking off from the parking lot above.

“I lost my footing and I slipped, and I remember there was about ten feet or so of dirt and roots that I tried to catch myself on and then just a sudden drop,” Tighe said.

It was a drop of 100 feet in less than three seconds at roughly 40 mph.

“I think at one point during the drop is when I lost consciousness and I woke up on the rocks and I was covered in blood and did not believe what had just happened was not a dream,” Tighe recalled.

Tighe’s partner called for help and rescue teams and a paramedic were able to get to Tighe and stabilize them on a back board. From there it took a Coast Guard helicopter to complete the rescue and get Tighe to the hospital.

Amazingly, Tighe didn’t suffer any brain or spinal damage.

Now out of the hospital and at home recovering, Tighe said the experience feels surreal, although the pain and hassle of the casts definitely bring them back to reality.

“I feel really fortunate and I feel really grateful for all the hospital staff at Emanuel (Hospital). They took really good care of me and obviously toward the paramedics who came and were able to save my life,” Tighe said.

Tighe said they expect to get surgery on their arm this coming week but is expected to make a full recovery.

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