What began as a peaceful morning hike between a father and daughter turned into an unthinkable tragedy Monday on a trail just east of Sweet Home, Oregon.
According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, a 17-year-old girl visiting from Texas died after falling from a tree near the start of the Soda Creek Falls Trail, tucked behind Cascadia State Park. Deputies were called to the area shortly after 11 a.m.
The teenager had only just started up the trail with her father, who lives in the area, when the two stopped near a tree. In a moment of light-hearted adventure that any parent of a teen would recognize, she reportedly climbed up or jumped to hang from a branch about six inches thick.
What happened next unfolded in a matter of seconds—the branch gave way.
The girl fell, striking a log below, and the snapped branch landed on top of her. She lost consciousness immediately.
Her father, in a frantic attempt to save her, tried to pull her toward the trailhead to get help. Fellow hikers and bystanders joined in, performing CPR until emergency responders arrived. But despite their efforts, the teen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cascadia State Park, where the trail is located, is a serene and historic stretch of land nestled along the South Santiam River. In addition to its day-use area, campsites, and hiking trails, it is home to the 150-foot Lower Soda Creek Falls. The area once served as a destination resort in the late 1800s, when George Geisendorfer promoted the “curative powers” of the mineral spring water flowing from Soda Creek. Visitors came from all over to stay at the resort’s hotel and enjoy tennis courts, a croquet course, garden, and even a bowling alley. Though the hotel later burned down, the land was eventually acquired by the state in 1940, becoming a cherished public retreat ever since.
The Soda Creek Falls Trail is a quiet, tucked-away path surrounded by mossy trees and gentle cascades—an Oregon gem often overlooked by tourists. It’s the kind of place where memories are made, not where lives are lost.
There is no deeper pain than a parent losing a child, especially in such an unexpected, fragile moment—one that started with laughter and ended in heartbreak.
As word of the tragedy spreads, our hearts go out to the father, who not only witnessed the accident but did everything in his power to save his daughter. For the community, this incident is a sobering reminder that even in the beauty of Oregon’s wilderness, nature can be unforgiving.
In the days ahead, let’s hold our loved ones a little closer. Let’s remember that behind every trail marker, every waterfall, and every evergreen shadow, there are stories—some joyful, some sorrowful—that remind us just how precious and fleeting life can be.
