A beloved rugby player, nurse, and National Guardsman died after a ‘freak accident’ falling off a 70-foot cliff in Northern California.
Bjorn ‘Bear’ Miller, 37, had just moved to the state for a nursing job when he stumbled off the lookout point in the seaside town of Fort Bragg, about three hours north of San Francisco.
A father and son who were hiking near Bay View Avenue discovered Miller’s body around 8.30am on April 11.
Police and the Fort Bragg Fire Department recovered Miller from the rocks and waterline by the Pacific Ocean, according to a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Miller’s Jeep was parked nearby and has since been secured as property of the coroner.
His brother, Kelton Miller, told KOCO that Miller’s death was a ‘freak accident.’
‘We believe, based on speaking with the sheriffs and based on what I’ve seen of pictures and the area, that he had just gotten out and walked around and fallen off,’ he said.
According to Kelton, his brother was a pillar of the rugby community in their hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma.
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Bjorn ‘Bear’ Miller died after tumbling off a cliff near Fort Bragg, California on April 11
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Bjorn ‘Bear’ Miller died after tumbling off a cliff near Fort Bragg, California on April 11
Miller played prop on his rugby team. He often volunteered to coach, play or even act as a medic
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Miller played prop on his rugby team. He often volunteered to coach, play or even act as a medic
Miller’s body was found near the waterline and rocks of an overlook in Fort Bragg
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Miller’s body was found near the waterline and rocks of an overlook in Fort Bragg
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‘His impact in the rugby community is quite phenomenal,’ Kelton said.
Miller was dedicated to supporting local youth and adult programs, whether as a player, coach, medic, or referee.
He also served in the Oklahoma National Guard as a combat medic and trained at Fort Sill.
His community set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the cost of his funeral expenses.
According to a tribute to him on the fundraising page, Miller ’embodied what it meant to show up for others’.
‘As one of the best props to ever play the game, he carried not only strength but heart, grit, and pride every time he stepped onto the field,’ it read.
‘Off the field, he was just as powerful—lifting people, bringing laughter into every space, and making everyone feel seen, valued, and at home, especially when he would invite his friends and family over for a meal.’
Miller’s brother(left), said Bjorn had a ‘phenomenal’ impact on the rugby community in their hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma
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Miller’s brother(left), said Bjorn had a ‘phenomenal’ impact on the rugby community in their hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma
Miller served on the Oklahoma National Guard as a combat medic
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Miller served on the Oklahoma National Guard as a combat medic
The coroner’s investigation ‘has not revealed any suspicious circumstances at the scene and criminal conduct is not suspected,’ the Sheriff’s Office press release said.
‘The preliminary cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma of the head and trunk, and submersion in ocean water,’ it continued.
John Brown and his son, who made the tragic discovery on the rocks near the ocean line, told Mendocino Coast News that Miller likely just got too close to the edge.
‘I think he might have thought there was more room at the edge, got out, and walked around to the passenger side of his door. I believe that’s when he fell,’ he said.
‘He probably knocked himself unconscious, and if the tide was high, that might have been enough to kill him.’
A memorial rugby match will be held in his honor on Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The Daily Mail contacted the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Bragg Fire Department for comment.
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