A California man has died after he tumbled off a rocky bluff in Oregon and was swept out to sea, according to authorities.
Henry Minh Hoang, 25, of West Covina, Calif., was hiking at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area in Tillamook County on Saturday when he “slipped and fell approximately 20 feet to the waters edge,” according to a press release from Oregon State Police.
The victim had ventured “beyond a safety fence” in an area known as “the punch bowl,” police said on Monday.
Hoang reportedly lost consciousness as a result of the fall, and was eventually “swept into the ocean by the waves.”
State police said the California man’s body was located nearly 24 hours later “at the bottom of a nearby cliff” along the shoreline.
Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is said to offer “one of the best viewpoints on the coast for witnessing the ocean’s power,” which visitors can access by climbing a “steep” and “towering” dune, according to Oregon State Parks’ website.
Visitors are also encouraged to stay behind the fence due to safety concerns.
“The cliff edge can — and will — crumble without warning,” the park’s website says, stating that “people have died after climbing over the safety fences. “
“Don’t do it,” the page reads. “The views are spectacular from the established viewpoints, on the safe side of the fence.”
The Nestucca Fire Department and the United States Coast Guard assisted state police in the search for Hoang, according to Monday’s press release.
Search efforts began Saturday evening, but were briefly halted until Sunday so “searchers could safely resume their efforts,” police say.
Hoang’s body has since been recovered and transported to a local funeral home.