On Saturday afternoon, a tragic incident unfolded at Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River west of Bend, Oregon. Six people were swept over the 40-foot waterfall, resulting in one confirmed death and two others still missing. These sudden and catastrophic tragedies have called for a multi-agency search and rescue operation to find the missing individuals.
The tragedy struck around noon when the guided party was allegedly close to the brink of the waterfall. Eyewitness testimony shows that the sudden flood of water was unexpected and people were not properly warned, leading to the deadly conditions. Of the agencies that responded, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has been taking the lead in coordinating the search and rescue efforts with other agencies.
Search and rescue teams instantly launched with teams and volunteers continuing to work late into the evening hours on Saturday. The immediate recovery efforts centered around finding the two still-missing people, with responders vowing to keep searching until sunset. If the search teams don’t have a better idea then of who the remaining missing people are, officials will call off efforts overnight. They will return to search Sunday morning at first light.
The search operation involved the use of advanced technologies to assist them in their search efforts. Drones, coordinated through the Bend Police Department, gave aerial support, allowing first responders look-over-views of the rough terrain around Dillon Falls. Furthermore, Airlink’s support enabled the search operation to deploy aerial resources from the onset, greatly expanding the areas teams were able to search efficiently.
So far, and until family is notified, the person who died has not been publicly identified. Of the two still-missing persons, one is presumed to be in grave danger. U.S. authorities are hopeful that the ongoing recovery efforts will soon have them back on shore safely. The community has expressed their support for those affected by this tragic event, and many are awaiting updates from officials.