The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has suspended its active search for Devon Dobek, who disappeared during a hunting trip in the Mount Hood National Forest, officials announced Friday.
The decision came after seven days of intensive search efforts that mobilized volunteers for more than 4,000 personnel hours combing the rugged terrain near the Fish Creek Trailhead, where Dobek’s truck was discovered on Oct. 31.
Dobek, a 1993 Philomath High graduate and Hubbard resident, was last heard from on Oct. 31 when he messaged a friend that he was returning home early from his hunting trip after bagging a deer.
The large-scale search operation, which ran from Oct. 31 through Nov. 7, deployed extensive resources including technical ground teams, helicopters, airplanes, drones equipped with thermal cameras, K-9 units, ATVs and cellphone tracking specialists.
The Sheriff’s Office said additional searches may resume if new information or evidence is discovered.
The sheriff’s office said the search area presented significant challenges with minimal to no cell service and steep terrain damaged by the 2020 wildfires. Fallen trees and difficult navigation complicated ground efforts throughout the week.
Multiple search-and-rescue teams and agencies were involved in the operation.