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Likely Remains Of Hunter Missing Since Halloween Recovered From Mount Hood National Forest
A the body of a hunter missing since Halloween was likely recovered Sunday following challenging search and recovery operations in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest, authorities said.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified Saturday that a body had been spotted in a “difficult-to-reach location” near the Fish Creek Trailhead in Mount Hood National Forest. The official search for missing hunter Devon Dobek was suspended on Nov. 7, but family, friends and other community members were continuing the search on their own when they spotted what appeared to be a body at the bottom of a cliff and reported it.
A rope team attempted to reach the body Saturday afternoon, but the operation “required a river crossing and traversing several hundred feet of nearly vertical cliff face,” and there was not enough daylight left. A second attempt was made Sunday, with teams rappelling from the top of the ridge from two different angles, starting at Fish Creek Campground and at a location off NF-45 Road.
Deputies, Forest Service personnel and volunteers had to work for 10 hours to clear downed trees from an evacuation route so vehicles could reach a washed-out area of road. After crews reached the body, it took another several hours to transport the remains to the roadway.
Dobek, 51, was due to return from a hunting trip on the night of Oct. 31, but had messaged a friend to say he was returning early after getting a deer. When he failed to return, he was reported missing Friday evening. Deputies located Dobek’s truck near the Fish Creek Trailhead, off SE Highway 224 and 54 Road.
During an initial search that night, gunshots were heard at “various times,” but their location could not be pinpointed. The search operation continued for several days, with multiple agencies and more than 100 people scouring the area.
While the remains recovered Sunday are believed to be Dobek, the Clackamas County Medical Examiners Office will make an official identification and determine the cause of death.
“Our thoughts continue to be with Devons family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
