Missing Climber - LCSO Case #23-3799





UPDATE:  Utilizing intel gathered from drone footage, Lane County Sheriff Search and Rescue personnel have located the body of the missing climber on the North Sister.  He has been identified as 21-year-old Joel Tranby of Bend. 

Tranby died after falling several hundred feet down a loose and rocky slope earlier this week.  Search and Rescue personnel were able to observe his body from helicopter this morning; however, extremely loose and steep rocky terrain rendered reaching him on foot impossible.

Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue personnel are consulting expert climbers from a number of various sources to determine if a recovery mission can be safely conducted.

We are saddened by this loss of life and extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. 

****Original story*****

Lane County, Ore. - Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue received the report of an injured climber near the summit of the North Sister on the afternoon of July 17, 2023 at approximately 12:18pm. The caller reported that her boyfriend had fallen approximately 300-500ft down the slope and was severely injured.  The caller was unable to see where the victim had fallen or reach him due to the extremely steep and rocky terrain.


A Lane County Sheriff’s Office SAR Coordinator and a Mountain Rescue volunteer arrived in the area via LifeFlight Network helicopter and immediately began searching. The victim is believed to have fallen into a very steep ravine that is made up of extremely unstable large boulders.  Unfortunately he stopped responding verbally before searchers arrived. The search team as well as an Oregon National Guard Blackhawk crew were unable to locate him. This area is extremely dangerous and inaccessible to searchers by foot.  Additional teams from Lane County SAR, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Mountain Rescue, and an AirLink Helicopter also assisted in the search.


The search was resumed yesterday with the Civil Air Patrol utilizing a high-resolution camera, and a ground team comprised of volunteers with Corvallis Mountain Rescue and Eugene Mountain Rescue. They utilized a small Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) to further search the area where the victim is believed to have fallen. No new clues were located; however, searchers will closely analyze the high-resolution photographs utilizing specialized software to attempt to detect possible clues. 


Future plans will be dependent upon the data analysis and resource availability.


News Release from Lane Co. Sheriff's Office
Posted on FlashAlert: July 19th, 2023 12:19 PM

Sponsored by: Preston’s Painting LLC

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