California Man Rescued After 40-Foot Fall at Toketee Falls

TOKETEE, Ore. – A 20-year-old California man was seriously injured on Monday after falling roughly 40 feet at Toketee Falls, prompting an extensive, multi-agency rescue operation lasting several hours.

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. on June 23, Nicholas Foy of Newbury Park, California, was visiting Toketee Falls with friends when the group bypassed the chain-link safety fence and descended approximately 200 feet down to the beach area near the base of the falls. While the group was jumping from cliffs into the water below, Foy slipped, falling about 40 feet onto rocks and suffering a head injury.

Emergency responders—including the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Douglas County Search & Rescue, Glide Fire Department, Central Douglas Fire & Rescue, Umpqua Valley Ambulance, and REACH Air Medical Services—arrived quickly to stabilize Foy.

Due to the challenging location, Douglas County deputies coordinated with the Oregon State Search and Rescue Coordinator and requested assistance from the United States Coast Guard. However, the Coast Guard determined that conditions prevented a safe aerial extraction.

After several hours of effort, firefighters established a rope system to successfully extricate Foy back up to the trail by 7:18 p.m. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby REACH helicopter and subsequently airlifted to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend in Springfield for advanced medical treatment.

Authorities continue to urge visitors to adhere to posted safety guidelines and barriers to prevent similar incidents.