Wife can’t find husband after trek along Oregon coast — then hiker sees body, cops say

A wife couldn’t find her missing husband after the two separated on a hike along the Oregon coastline, deputies said.

His body was then discovered by another hiker.

The two had been on a trail near Natural Bridges on Sunday, April 21, near Brookings, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

The wife returned to their car, but her husband never did, deputies said.

At about 2:35 p.m., a hiker discovered a “person on the rocks below him that appeared to be deceased” and reported it to authorities, deputies said.

Rescuers had to rappel about 300 feet down steep terrain where they found 69-year-old Richard Ehrhart from San Jose, California, deputies said.

Sheriff John Ward told McClatchy News he had fallen approximately 300 to 350 feet.

Authorities did not say which trail the husband and wife were on, but Ward said there are many trails along the coastline near Natural Bridges.

Natural Bridges is a popular spot for ocean viewpoints with “seven iconic arch rocks and blowholes,” according to Oregon State Parks.

The hike to the viewpoint is less than a mile out-and-back and takes visitors about 15 minutes in total to finish, according to AllTrails.

Steep cliffs make the area dangerous, though.

“It is not safe to cross into closed areas or scramble to try to get closer to the bridges,” the travel app said.

Brookings is in southwestern Oregon near the Oregon-California border.