NewsCrime & Missing Persons

Hours After Recovering Oregon Men Who Died Bigfoot Hunting, Rescue Team’s Gear Stolen

Danielle Denham
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skamania county search and rescue

Following a three-day search for two Portland men who went missing while seeking Sasquatch in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) team has been dealt a significant setback. Upon concluding the search, during which the men’s bodies were tragically discovered, the team returned to find that their storage facility had been burglarized. Thieves had cut through a 10-foot chain link and barbed wire fence and broken into the equipment trailers, making off with nearly all of the team’s essential rescue gear.

The stolen equipment encompassed a wide array of critical tools, including:

  • Technical rope rescue gear
  • Patient packaging equipment
  • An Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
  • Custom wilderness medical kits
  • Hypothermic rescue kits
  • Generators and other vital tools
  • Training projectors

This loss severely hampers the SAR team’s ability to respond to emergencies, potentially endangering lives in future rescue missions.

Community Support and Fundraising Efforts

In response to this devastating theft, the SAR team has turned to the community for assistance. As an independent nonprofit organization, they operate solely on donations, with no funding from federal, state, or local governments. All members are dedicated volunteers, receiving no compensation for their life-saving work. To replenish their stolen equipment, the team has launched fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe and Facebook. As of Monday afternoon 12/30, they have successfully raised almost $20,000, reflecting the community’s strong support and recognition of the team’s vital role in ensuring public safety.

Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Facebook

Recent Search and Rescue Missions

The theft comes at a time when the SAR team has been exceptionally active. In recent months, they have conducted multiple rescue missions, including the recovery of a missing mushroom harvester near the Forest Service 93 Road and the extraction of a stranded hiker from the Loowit Trail on Mount Saint Helens. These operations highlight the team’s dedication and the critical need for their specialized equipment.

Call to Action

The SAR team emphasizes that each piece of equipment is indispensable for the safety of both rescuers and those they assist. Without the necessary gear, their capacity to respond to emergencies—such as rescuing individuals stranded across rivers or those who have fallen from cliffs—is significantly compromised. They urge the public to contribute to their fundraising efforts to ensure they can continue their mission of saving lives.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue’s official Facebook page and/or GoFundMe.

Written By Danielle Denham

Danielle Denham is a writer, photographer, and devoted history buff with a soft spot for Oregon’s forgotten places. Her love of old schoolhouses, abandoned homesteads, and the lives once lived inside them has taken her down back roads across the state. She was featured on OPB’s Oregon Field Guide, exploring the historic Charles Nelson House with a former resident shortly before the home was lost to wildfire. Watch the feature. At That Oregon Life, Danielle shares local history, good food, memorable adventures, and the quirks that make Oregon home. When she isn’t exploring, you may find her spending time in Eugene with Tyler James and his two awesome kiddos. If there’s an old building with a mysterious past along the way, consider the afternoon’s plans officially derailed.

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