Hiker falls to his death while posing for photo on cliff near ocean

TILLAMOOK COUNTY, Ore. — An Oregon man died Sunday after attempting to snap photos of a scenic view at an Oregon state park.

Steven Gastelum, of Seaside, Oregon, was walking with a friend on the Devil’s Cauldron Trail in Oswald West State Park when he stopped to take pictures, officials said.

According to authorities, the 43-year-old man climbed a tree on the edge of a cliff for a photo, causing a tree limb to break.

Gastelum fell about 100 feet into the Pacific Ocean below.

Law enforcement officials called to the scene dispatched a helicopter and jet skis to locate Gastelum, who was found and brought to shore.

He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In Sept. 2017, 51-year-old Joe Lescene, a Canadian tourist who was hiking with his wife, lost his footing near a cliff at Devil’s Cauldron, falling 800 feet to his death. The U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon State Police and four groups of local emergency responders searched for his body for days to no avail, CBC reported.

His body was found when it washed ashore more than a week after his fall.

Cox Media Group