Search Teams Recover Likely Remains of Missing Hunter Devon Dobek
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office confirms recovery effort in rugged terrain near Fish Creek Trailhead after two-day operation.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says Search and Rescue teams have recovered what they believe to be the remains of missing hunter Devon Dobek, following a complex two-day recovery effort in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, community members searching the area near the Fish Creek Trailhead spotted what appeared to be a body at the base of a steep cliff. The group, which included family and friends of Dobek, immediately notified the Sheriff’s Office.
Around 4:30 p.m., Search and Rescue coordinators and volunteers arrived and deployed a rope team to attempt a recovery. The location required crossing a river and scaling several hundred feet of nearly vertical terrain. Due to fading daylight, crews were forced to suspend operations until Sunday morning.
On November 16, teams returned and launched a second attempt, approaching the site from the top of the ridge. Crews rappelled from two directions: one from the Fish Creek Campground, and another from a point accessed via NF-45 Road.
Progress was further slowed as deputies, U.S. Forest Service officers, and volunteers spent roughly ten hours clearing downed trees along the evacuation route, working to reopen a washed-out section of roadway and allow rescue vehicles to access the area.
At approximately 1 p.m., rope teams located the remains of the individual believed to be Dobek. The Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office will confirm the identity.
By 3:35 p.m., crews began carrying the remains over difficult terrain until they could be transferred to a wheeled litter for the remainder of the evacuation. The operation took several hours due to the remote and unstable landscape.
The Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the many agencies involved, including Portland Mountain Rescue, Hood River Crag Rats, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, and the U.S. Forest Service.
“Our thoughts continue to be with Devon’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the agency said.
Cover image: Clackamas County Sheriff