Visitor Dies Of Injuries Sustained In 200-Foot Fall

On the afternoon of October 16th, 20-year old visitor Brittany Hutchinson sustained critical injuries from an approximately 200-foot fall at the Crescent Beach overlook. Moments before her fall, a member of Hutchinson’s party saw her exploring the area by scrambling on a particularly steep and dangerous scree slope that terminates in a vertical drop. A California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) law enforcement ranger scrambled down the steep slope along an alternate route, located Hutchinson near the bottom of the slope, and began resuscitating the gravely injured woman. A National Park Service protection ranger and a member of the Del Norte County SAR team carried an EMS pack to their location and joined the CDPR ranger in providing medical care. A Coast Guard helicopter arrived within an hour and flew Hutchinson to Humboldt County’s St Josephs Hospital, where she was pronounced dead within minutes of arrival in the emergency room. The competent professional response and care administered by rangers, the Del Norte County SAR team and the Coast Guard guaranteed that she had the best chance at a positive outcome, but her injuries proved to be too extensive. The incident is still under investigation.