LINN COUNTY, Oregon — Recovery efforts are underway for a Kuna climber who is believed to have fallen on Mount Jefferson in Oregon.
The Linn County Sheriff's Office says 37-year-old Jared John Empey is an experienced climber who had left to solo-summit the mountain.
The Sheriff's Office says they received a 911 call around 11:35 a.m. on Friday, where a caller was relaying a report from two climbers, who said they witnessed a climber fall down the west side of the summit, into the Milk Creek Drainage. The Oregon Army National Guard searched the area by helicopter and found a backpack and other gear but could not find a climber.
By Saturday morning, the Sheriff's Office received a report of a missing person, who had been climbing Mount Jefferson the day before and missed scheduled check-ins with his wife. The missing gear was confirmed to be Empey's. The Sheriff's Office says that because of where he fell, recovery may not be possible.
The Linn County Sheriff's Office shared their condolences in a Facebook post, writing, "Our hearts and thoughts go out to Jared’s family and friends during this difficult time."
