One person was killed and two people are still missing after a group of six people were swept over a waterfall in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, prompting a search and rescue mission. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said it rescued three people from the Deschutes River who were transported to the hospital, while another person was declared dead at the scene.
The group went over Dillon Falls, which are rapids along the Deschutes River in central Oregon, near the city of Bend. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the area is popular location for visitors participating in water activities like boating. First responders in Bend are still looking for two people missing after a group of six tumbled over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River west of Bend.
Authorities have not shared details about the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s incident. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said it was initially reported just before 3 p.m. local time, prompting a response from deputies along with local fire officials and search and rescue teams. Emergency responders used drones to look for survivors near Dillon Falls after receiving an emergency call in the afternoon and plan to resume search efforts on Sunday after pausing overnight.
Dillon Falls has a 15-foot (4.5-metre) drop that turns into “churning rapids in a quick, step ladder-like pattern”, (per Visit Central Oregon.) The falls over the Deschutes River are near the city of Bend in the Deschutes National Forest, where thousands of people boat, kayak or float on inner tubes on the river, which boasts whitewater areas as well as trout and salmon fisheries.
Editorial credit: Hills Outdoors / Shutterstock.com
