One person is dead and two more are missing after a group of six was swept over a waterfall in Oregon on Saturday, officials said.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reported on Facebook that the group passed over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River west of Bend shortly before 3 p.m., which is when the 911 call was received.
According to the sheriff’s office, one individual was declared dead at the site, and a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation is in progress to locate the two missing persons.
The office did not immediately identify the person who died.
Three individuals were saved from the water and transported by ambulance to the St. Charles Health System’s medical center in Bend, as stated by the sheriff’s office. Their current condition is unknown.
Dillon Falls, in central Oregon, is about 173 miles southeast of Portland. The falls have a 15-foot drop that turns into rapids when the water reaches the Deschutes River, according to Visit Central Oregon, which promotes tourism in the region.
Photos posted by the sheriff’s office show a hazard sign warning visitors of the waterfall nearby and indicating paddlers should wear life jackets.
The office, along with its search and rescue arm and Bend Fire and Rescue, responded to the scene on Saturday. The Bend Police Department provided drones to help the search.
The sheriff’s office said its search and rescue team launched two drones in the Dillon Falls area on Sunday. Fifteen members of a swift water rescue team physically searched areas highlighted by the drones, the sheriff’s office said.
Three K-9 teams also joined the search effort and worked with marine patrol boats to scour the area downstream of the falls, the sheriff’s office added.
No updates were available by Sunday night. The sheriff’s office said crews will resume their efforts Monday morning.
