At least one person died after a group of six were swept over a waterfall in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, prompting a search and rescue mission that continues as two others remain missing, authorities said.
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. As the agency writes in a description of Dillon Falls on its website, the area is popular location for visitors participating in water activities like boating.
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. AirLink and a drone provided by the police department in Bend assisted with an aerial search, the sheriff said.
One person was confirmed dead at the site, according to the sheriff’s office. Three others were rescued from the river and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Bend. The other two people who went over the falls had not been found at the time authorities issued their final update Saturday.
The sheriff’s office said search and rescue crews “continued recovery efforts into the evening” and would work until sunset, with plans to resume operations in the morning if they could not locate those missing before then.
Authorities said they are not identifying the victims nor survivors by name right now “to allow for proper family notification.”
