A missing hunter has sadly been found deceased. Authorities confirmed they found the remains of a hunter who went missing in Mount Hood National Forest.
The hunter disappeared after pinging a friend about leaving a hunting trip early. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 51-year-old Devon Christopher Dobek has died. They determined his death to be accidental. Authorities first discovered the remains earlier this month. The hunter went missing on October 31.
"The missing hunter, 51-year-old Devon Dobek of Hubbard, was due to return from his hunting trip late Friday night but had messaged a friend that he was returning early after getting a deer," officials had said. "Deputies located Mr. Dobek's truck near the Fish Creek Trailhead, off SE Hwy 224 and 54 Rd., but there was no sign of a deer or of Mr. Dobek, whom friends describe as an experienced hunter equipped with appropriate gear."
Despite searching for the missing hunter, they failed to locate him alive. At the time, they had volunteers devote a collective 4,000 hours to searching for the missing hunter.
Missing Hunter Dies
"The large-scale search efforts were active from Friday, October 31, through Friday, November 7," the sheriff's office said. "Additional searches may resume if new information or evidence is discovered."
Search and rescue was concerned about the terrain in the area.
"The search area had minimal to no cell service and included steep terrain, some of it damaged by the 2020 wildfires," officials added.
On November 15, authorities found a body near Fish Creek Trailhead.
"Community members, family, and friends of missing hunter Devon Dobek were searching the area when they saw what appeared to be a body at the base of a [400-foot] cliff and notified the Sheriff's Office," authorities said in the update.
"Our thoughts are with Devon's family and friends at this difficult time," authorities said on Tuesday.
