23-year-old dies after flipping off cliff and landing in water head-first, WA cops say

A cliff jumper died after he landed head-first in a Washington river after doing a front flip, deputies said.

William Lewis Hogg, a 23-year-old from Battle Ground, was cliff jumping with friends and family at Toutle River near Castle Rock on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office said.

He climbed to the top of a 50-foot cliff and attempted a front flip into the water. He struck the water’s surface with his head and chest and then vanished, deputies said.

Friends and family members called for help after Hogg didn’t resurface. Officials rushed to the scene.

A dive team and police equipped with drones started searching for Hogg. For hours, rescuers and loved ones scoured the river.

At about 10 p.m., however, the search was suspended until the following morning. Divers located and recovered Hogg’s body on Thursday, Aug. 25, at about 2 p.m.

“Hogg’s family and friends were on scene during the search and assisted in his recovery,” deputies said in a news release. “The coroner’s office has taken custody of the body for further examination to determine the cause of death.”

Castle Rock is about 60 miles south of Olympia.

This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 9:06 AM with the headline "23-year-old dies after flipping off cliff and landing in water head-first, WA cops say."