Man falls 100 feet to death off Linn County cliff

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Linn County deputies are investigating the death of a 61-year-old man who died while on a camping trip.

On Sunday afternoon about 4:00 p.m., Martha Leech, 55, called 911 to say her friend, Stephen Bass, had fallen to the bottom of a cliff. The two were near Gordon Meadows, east of Cascadia. Bass fell about 100 feet, according to deputies.

Search and rescue crews had to rappel down the steep slope to reach Bass, where they found him dead.

Because of the rugged terrain and lack of daylight, deputies secured the scene and waited until Monday to recover his body.

The cause of his death is under investigation.