Hundreds of residents from a small town in Oregon have joined the search for an “experienced” hunter who vanished in the dense woods of Mount Hood National Forest on Friday.
Devon Dobek, 51, messaged his friends on the morning of October 31 to say that he was “returning home after getting a deer,” but was later reported as missing that evening at 6.20 pm after he failed to return, according to a statement from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Dobek’s neighbors in Hubbard, a small town located 26 miles from Portland, held a prayer vigil for him yesterday, which included a Bible reading and a rendition of Amazing Grace.
The massive search for Dobek has seen ATVs, drones, and K-9 units combing the forest late into the night.
“Search efforts are focused in steep and difficult terrain that was burned in the 2020 wildfires,” the sheriff’s office said at the time. “The area is full of fallen trees, making navigation extremely challenging.
“Crews plan to continue searching into the night hours.”
However, Dobek’s friend said that he believes that the hunter’s experience in the wilderness could be helping him to survive.
“I’ve hunted and fished with him multiple times,” friend Roger Neufeld told Fox 12. “If there’s anyone who can weather something like this, it’s going to be Devon.”
While his sister, Katie, told the station that Dobek’s family is putting their faith in God.
“We are 100% putting our faith in Christ,” she said. “This can be used as a witness to bring people together.
“The outpouring of the community has been Christ-centered.”
Dobek’s car has been found off Oregon Highway 224, by the Fish Creek Tailhead, but, according to Oregon Live, there was no sign of him or his deer near the vehicle.
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that teams looking for Dobek heard gunshots in the forest on Friday but could not pinpoint where they had come from. Authorities confirmed that they “presumed” that the missing hunter had fired the shots.
Despite the dismal weather and heavy rain, Oregon Army National Guard helicopters have joined the search, too.
The sheriff has confirmed that no additional volunteers are needed as Mountain Wave Search and Rescue, Portland Mountain Rescue, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Hood River Crag Rats, and Lake Oswego Police Department’s drone team have also set out to find Dobek.
In addition to the physical search, law enforcement is attempting to find him through cellphone and GPS tracking, but has found that the rugged terrain means that "signal coverage in the area is weak or non-existent."
The Independent has contacted the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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