A local man jumped down 18-feet to save a mother and her two-year-old daughter who both narrowly survived with their lives after falling 100 feet while hiking the Multnomah Falls outside Portland on Sunday.
Shane Roundy (33) was waiting outside for his daughter, when he heard screaming from the 620-foot falls. Two people were said to have fallen from the bridge and were thrown into the waters. He ran towards the crowd to find out what had happened.
Roundy, who is a mechanic, was quick to get involved. He jumped across the railing and over fell trees before jumping into the freezing water.
Roundy found Olivia (who he thinks is in her late 20s) and Katie, her two-year old daughter, in the waters. Roundy was asked by Olivia to first help Katie. He took Katie, who was crying and held her close as he tried to comfort her.
He sat Katie down and rushed to get Olivia out of the water. He promised Katie that he’d be back and ran to the wall to get the toddler, who was crying, to safety.
Shane Roundy (33-year-old Oregon mechanic) quickly jumped down an 18-foot wall and saved Olivia, Katie, and her mother.
The mother and her toddler were ‘alert and conscious’ after their 100 ft fall along the hike at Multnomah Falls on Sunday. The mother and her toddler were both taken to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
‘The wall I jumped over was 18 feet tall but I didn’t notice until later,’ he told DailyMail.com.
He noticed an 18-foot drop when he returned to the wall, where six hikers were gathered. Roundy was held by his stepmother, daughter and girlfriend. Another man jumped over the railing in an attempt to capture the little boy.
Roundy gave the boy the baby and threw him away. Roundy ran to Olivia and told her Katie was safe. Roundy tried to assist Katie, but she requested that he return to her to ensure Katie’s safety.
Roundy was reunited with Katie when a woman ran up the trail screaming for help. Jean, Olivia’s mother, and Katie’s grandmother had been running down the trail for eight minutes trying to find help.
Jean and Katie were reunited when Jean took Jean’s layers off and gave Jean jackets and blankets.
Roundy was notified and an off-duty paramedic ran to Olivia’s aid until the authorities arrived.
The emergency services arrived on the scene quickly and saved Katie. Both Olivia and Katie were rushed to Oregon Health & Science University with non-life threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.
After the toddler fell near to the Benson Bridge, which crosses the trail, the pair plunged into the pool below the falls. Her mother tried her best but lost her balance and she was unable to rescue her.
Roundy told DailyMail.com, “I simply remember thinking that someone needs my help.” When he saved the “miraculous” man, he didn’t hesitate to think about it or stumble.
He said, “I felt so light that I thought someone was lifting my over the trees.” ‘I just ran as fast as I could and jumped and leaped and didn’t fall miraculously because normally I would have.’
Julia Hariri, Erica Klein (center), and Hope Monaghan were hiking when Erica Klein and Hope Monaghan heard Hope Monaghan screaming for help. A woman was desperately searching for her grandbaby and daughter.
Jill Willis (Vice President Multnomah Falls Company) said that fellow hikers jumped in to help the baby while the mother was receiving treatment by an off-duty paramedic.
Ericka Klein told KATU, “It was quite clear that the child was injured.” “Someone grabbed the baby and another person was there to make sure that she was OK,” Ericka Klein, witness, told KATU. It was believed that she had broken her leg.
A state park ranger warned of slippery terrain, uneven footing, and potential landslides while hiking in the area during this time of year
Kanyon Reams, a paramedic with the Corbett Fire Department, was sent to the scene where he found the mother with a fractured leg and injuries to her face and abdomen.
Fox 12’s Reams reported to Fox 12. We were able to quickly extricate this patient.
The employees at the falls dialed 911 to help clear the way for emergency personnel. Willis explained that it could prove difficult to ensure emergency vehicles are able to travel down the road because of its congestion.
Multnomah Falls, located about 30 miles northeast of Portland, is the state’s tallest waterfall and the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This trail can be described as moderate and the bridge is reached in the first few minutes. Roundy said although the full hike can he difficult: ‘There’s always kids there.’
Jamen Lee, State Park Ranger said that the terrain in the gorge is often challenging and it’s important to be prepared for such conditions. He also warned against These conditions can lead to slippery ground, uneven footing and even landslides.