Search Suspended For Sebastopol H.S. Grad Missing In Oregon

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – The Marion County Sheriff's Office in Oregon suspended the search Saturday night for a missing Sebastopol high school graduate in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness area.

Riley Zickel, 21, of Portland and a graduate of Analy High School, went missing July 27. He was last seen on the Pacific Crest Trail, where he intended to hike for the day, according to the sheriff's office.

Zickel was last seen on the trail just north of Jefferson Park where he visited with another hiker, sheriff's officials said.

The decision to suspend the active search was made after exhausting all available leads, and Zickel's family are aware of that decision, according to the sheriff's office.

More than 340 searchers dedicated approximately 5,000 hours searching 350 square miles of the Willamette National Forest north and south of Mt. Jefferson, Jefferson Park, Park Butte and the surrounding areas,
sheriff's officials said.

The area is heavily forested and has many ridges and valleys. Areas of snow complicated the search and daytime temperatures occasionally reached 90 degrees. The elevation in the search area was 5,000-7,000 feet.

The Sheriff's Office says it thinks Zickel has a cell phone with him, but is unable to get a "ping" from it.
Deputies did find Zickel's vehicle on a trailhead that enters the park.

"It is a very difficult decision to withdraw resources from this search," Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers said in a statement.

"We're very grateful for the assistance provided by our public safety parties, and our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Zickel's family," Myers said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact a tip line set up by the sheriff's office at 503-584-SRCH or 503-584-7724.

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--Bay City News/Photo via Marion County Sheriff's Office