The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is ramping up efforts to locate 61-year-old Susan Lane-Fournier, who disappeared while hiking with her two dogs in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Lane-Fournier, who is also known as “Phoenix,” was reported missing after she failed to show up for work. Authorities believe she was hiking with her two large Malinois-mix dogs in the Green Canyon Way Trail area, south of Welches.
Concern for Lane-Fournier grew after deputies visited her home on November 22, following the report from her employer. The next day, a community member spotted her white 1992 Ford F-250 parked along E. Salmon River Road near the trailhead. This discovery prompted an immediate search effort by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team.
The search operation, which began on November 23, has since expanded significantly. Volunteers from Clackamas Search and Rescue, Portland Mountain Rescue, Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, and Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue have joined the efforts. The operation now includes two trailing K9 units and over 25 ground searchers, combing the area for any sign of Lane-Fournier or her dogs.
Efforts to locate her are set to continue on November 25, with additional resources and personnel joining the search. Deputies remain in close communication with Lane-Fournier’s family as the operation progresses.
Lane-Fournier is described as 5'2", weighing 150 pounds, with reddish-brown hair. Although she is familiar with the area, it remains unclear if she was prepared for an overnight stay. Temperatures in the region have been dropping into the 30s, with light rain adding to concerns about her well-being.
The search teams remain determined as they face challenging conditions, hoping for a positive outcome in the days ahead.
