Friends of Douglas County Search & Rescue

12/12/2025

A huge thank-you to our amazing community sponsors for helping make our Search and Rescue Christmas Party extra special this year! 🎄✨
We’re incredibly grateful to Myrtle Creek Auto Parts , Shirtcliff Oil , Pizza Palace , , Swanson Group Inc , Buck-a-Roo Barn, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation , ThunderS'Truck BBQ, and Ireland Trucking for generously donating drawing items for our event.

Your support brings joy to our volunteers and their families, and it truly shows what an incredible community we have. Thank you for standing behind Search and Rescue and helping us celebrate another year of service!

07/17/2025

Thank you Swanson Group Inc and MSK True Value Building Supply for donating the ratchet straps seen below!

06/26/2025

04/09/2025

Thank you to Figaro's in Myrtle Creek for donating pizza for our Search and Rescue mission debrief. 😃

Figaro's Pizza

03/08/2025

IDLEYLD PARK, Ore. – A Glide woman who was the subject of a search and rescue operation has been located alive and uninjured.

On Thursday, March 6, 2025, around 8:20 p.m., Douglas County Dispatch received a missing person report from the family of 18-year-old Danielle Clinesmith. Clinesmith had reportedly gone hiking on the North Umpqua Trail from Swiftwater Park earlier in the day but failed to return. She had intended to only be out for a short period of time and had no supplies with her. Family members had attempted a search but couldn’t locate Clinesmith whose vehicle was located at the trailhead with her cellphone in the center console.

Deputies along with Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers responded and began coordinated search efforts. Deployed resources included ground searchers, K9 teams, drone operations, and roving searchers in vehicles.

At approximately 4:30 am on Friday, March 7, Search and Rescue volunteers located Clinesmith walking along Highway 138E. She was uninjured and did not require medical assistance. Clinesmith reported it had become too dark, and she felt it best to continue walking on the trail until she was able to get to the Tioga Bridge to get back to the highway. In total searchers believe she walked approximately 7.25 miles on the trail which had been badly damaged in the 2020 Archie Creek Fire and still contains numerous downed trees, debris and damaged bridges. She then walked approximately 4 miles along the highway before being located.

Searchers provided Clinesmith a ride and reunited her with her family.

12/06/2024

During this holiday season we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to some of the local businesses that have donated this year.

Thank you Swanson Group Inc for donating aquascopes and a spa basket that will be given away at the Christmas party drawing.

Thank you Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians for donating a inflatable kayak with motor and sonar for searching waterways that are difficult for traditional watercraft to maneuver in. Cow Creek also donated a night stay with dining at Seven Feathers Casino Resort that will be given away at the Christmas party drawing.

Thank you Brownson Logging for donating paint that was used to paint the interior of the rescue building.

10/07/2024

Unfortunately this misleading “tip” is being shared again. Here’s the truth of the matter:

The viral post (pictured below) advising people to change their voicemail message recording when lost has received a lot of attention and has been liked and/or shared by people who don't know better and are trying to be helpful.

1. Without a signal (connection to the cellular network) YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR VOICEMAIL. The voicemail system resides with your cell provider. To change your outgoing message, you have to CALL into your voicemail and then navigate the menus, record a new greeting, confirm the new greeting, etc. YOU CANNOT DO THIS WITH NO SIGNAL.

2. If your battery is low do not waste its power by calling your voice mail—or a friend or relative. Call 9-1-1 for assistance.

3. If you have no signal, text for help to 9-1-1. Many, if not most, 9-1-1 centers can receive a text.

4. Text takes much less power, is far more likely to get through, will automatically retry many times if you have spotty service, leaves record others can see and can give you an indication that it got thru. *You can seek higher ground to obtain a stronger signal if your text initially fails to send*.

5. Stay put. If you're lost or broken down and you've called for help (assuming you have signal and battery) please stay in one location—UNLESS YOU MUST MOVE FOR SAFETY REASONS. Changing your location makes SAR members job more difficult. SAR resources will respond to the GPS location indicated by your cell phone if available. STAY PUT.

6. Maximize battery life. In order to make the battery last longer close ALL apps. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth. Keep your cell phone warm in cold conditions by storing it against your body and inside your jacket, sleeping bag, etc.

7. Follow directions from dispatchers, law enforcement, and SAR team members. You may be instructed to turn your phone off and text back at a specific time, signal with a flashlight, build a fire, open a link sent by text so that SAR can see your location on a map, etc. Help them help you by heeding their directions.

05/23/2024

𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
May 19-25, 2024

The week of May 19-25 is the week set aside annually to thank our Search and Rescue Personnel and Volunteers. First observed in May of 2010, the United States Senate passed a resolution designating this week every year as 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 to honor our nation’s Search and Rescue personnel and volunteers.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners Chris Boice, Tim Freeman, and Tom Kress will be turning the exterior lights of the Douglas County Courthouse 𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘 from May 19- 25, 2024, as a gesture of support and thanks for our Douglas County Search and Rescue Teams.

Search and Rescue organizations are composed of mainly volunteer experts in search and rescue and disaster response. They come from a wide range of skilled backgrounds, including pilots, mountaineers, divers, urban technicians, dog handlers, backcountry horsemen, snowmobilers and ATVers. The volunteers within Douglas County Search and Rescue (SAR) operate under the direction of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and members that donate their time, skills, and expertise to help those in need.

The following volunteer SAR units provide services in Douglas County - Communications Team; Mounted Team; Ground Team; 4x4 Team; Snow Cat Team; Amateur Radio Emergency Services; Dive Team; K-9 Team; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Team; Logistics Team; Mountain Rescue Team and Tracking Team.

Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers maintain the highest proficiency in search and rescue techniques and operations and are ready to apply these techniques to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers provide a valuable public service by promoting public education on wilderness safety and assisting law enforcement with crime scenes.

𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟵-𝟮𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

For more information about Douglas County Search & Rescue Program visit https://www.dcso.com/228/Search-Rescue

For more information about the National Search and Rescue Awareness Week visit https://nasar.org/.

05/10/2024

It takes time for search and rescue volunteers to respond for missions. Here is an example of what a response timeline may look like to the backcountry. Always recreate well prepared and let a trusted friend know where you are going and when you intend to return!

04/21/2024

Our condolences to the Merchant-Ly family. Thank you Search and Rescue for all of your hard work in locating and returning Rachel to her family.

IDLEYLD PARK, Ore. - The body of Rachel Merchant-Ly has been recovered from the North Umpqua River today.

On April 19, 2024, Douglas County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue organized a large scale search in their ongoing efforts to locate 27-year-old Rachel Merchant-Ly of Idleyld Park. Merchant-Ly was reported missing on Thursday, February 29, 2024, when she didn't arrive at Glide Elementary School where she worked as a kindergarten teacher. Later that morning, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy located signs of a motor vehicle crash near milepost 41 on Highway 138E.

On Friday, March 1, 2024, Merchant-Ly's vehicle was recovered from the North Umpqua River, but she was not found inside.

Since that time, searchers have conducted numerous searches by water, land, and air without success.

On April 19, 2024, searchers from Douglas County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, Jackson County Search and Rescue and Lane County Search and Rescue organized to conduct further searching. Volunteer rafting groups and community members also organized and were coordinating with the Sheriff's Office efforts.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., a community member volunteer located a deceased body in the river approximately 7.5 miles downstream from the crash site. Deputies confirmed the presence of the body and began coordinating recovery efforts. The Douglas County Medical Examiner's Office responded and confirmed the body to be that of Rachel Merchant-Ly.

“I cannot thank the dedicated deputies, SAR Volunteers, agency partners and community members who have not given up on finding Rachel," Sheriff John Hanlin said. “Commissioner Freeman and I have been in personal communication with Rachel's husband, mother, father and extended family. They are extremely thankful for the efforts of everyone involved.”

The Sheriff's Office was assisted throughout the investigation by Douglas County, Jackson County and Lane County Search and Rescue teams, the Oregon State Search and Rescue Coordinator, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, Pacific Power, Weekly Brothers, North Umpqua Outfitters, Northwest Rafters Association, Douglas County Fire District #2 and all of the community members who volunteered their time.