Man falls to his death after diving from 50ft cliff into Washington river and hitting his head
James Austin
Published Aug 24, 2026
A MAN has been killed after diving from a 50-ft high cliff into a Washington River and reportedly hitting his head.
Police recovered the remains of 23-year-old William Lewis Hogg after a day-long search of the Toutle River, Troy Brightbill of Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office said.
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Hogg, of Battle Ground, Washington, did not resurface after jumping into the Toutle River near Castle Rock, officials said.
Police first received a call around 3:50pm Wednesday.
A dive team, police, firefighters, and a drone team responded.
The search went on until around 11pm, and resumed the next morning.
Hogg’s remains were recovered around 2pm Thursday, officials said.
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Friends and family had been assisting in the search, and in the recovery of the body, police added.
According investigators, Hogg jumped into the river from a cliff 50 ft of above the water and struck the surface with his head and chest after doing a front flip.
The coroner's office is conducting an investigation into the cause of death.
Castle Rock is about 60 miles south of Olympia.
