Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project

09/29/2026

Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project — end of field season

As the leaves come down and snow moves into the higher country, our 2026 field search season is coming to a close.

This year our team helped bring one missing persons case to a close. We are awaiting DNA results on a second. We are grateful for every hour that led to those outcomes, and we know most families we work with are still waiting. That is not lost on us.

PNWMPP is a small volunteer organization.
We are growing, but the work still depends on a short list of people willing to plan, hike, document, and return to the same ground until there is an answer or the season makes it unsafe to continue. When official searches end, that is often when our work begins — in remote terrain, on our own time, at no cost to families.

We are already reviewing and opening pending cases for the 2027 search season. Planning does not stop when the snow flies. The families attached to those cases should not have to wait for spring to know someone is still taking their person seriously.
If you can volunteer — field search, mapping, logistics, land-access research, or support work — we need you. Experience helps. Reliability matters more. Training and safety standards are part of how we operate.

If your family is waiting on a rural or remote missing persons case in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, or Montana, or if you want to join the team, visit pnwmpp.org.

We will be back on the ground when the season allows. Until then, the work continues.

PNWMPP is dedicated to the search for and recovery of missing persons (cold-cases) in rural and remote locations of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana.

09/05/2026

When official search and rescue ends, the helicopters go home. The teams stand down. And families are left with silence.
That’s the moment Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project (PNWMPP) exists for.

We’re a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization. We go back into the same remote Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana terrain — after the official operation is over — and we keep searching. Disciplined field operations. Case review. Days on the ground when everyone else has moved on.

We are not search and rescue. We pick up where search and rescue has to stop.

Every year, people vanish in these woods. Some cases go cold. Families wait years for an answer that never comes unless someone is willing to walk the ground again.
We need more of those people.

If you know how to move in the backcountry — hunters, backpackers, former military, fire, law enforcement, anyone with land nav, first aid, and the grit to work remote terrain for three to five days at a time — we need you.

Field searchers. Mappers. Drone operators. Logistics. Family liaison. Even if you cannot hike, there is a role.
Visit pnwmpp.org.

Come trained.
Come serious.
Come ready to give families something official searches could not: continued effort.

The search does not have to end. Help us make sure it doesn’t.

PNWMPP is dedicated to the search for and recovery of missing persons (cold-cases) in rural and remote locations of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana.

06/27/2026

With the growing popularity of GPS navigation apps, more people are discovering the incredible hiking and recreation opportunities throughout the Columbia Gorge. We're fortunate to have vast public lands, including the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, but it's important to remember that these public lands are often bordered by private property and protected wildlife areas that are closed to public access.

Before heading out, download a dedicated GPS app such as AllTrails, OnX, or CalTopo. Be sure to download your maps before you leave cell service, and start recording a track at the beginning of your hike. These apps use your phone's GPS and can continue to show your location even when you have no cell signal.

If your route is blocked by private property or a wildlife refuge, do not trespass. Respect gates, fences, and posted signs. A shortcut across private land can create conflicts with landowners, damage sensitive habitat, and may put you in an area where rescuers cannot easily reach you if something goes wrong.

A little planning goes a long way toward keeping both you and our wild places safe. Sharing your planned route with someone at home is even more valuable than having a GPS app. That single habit helps rescuers narrow a search area dramatically if someone doesn't return on time. Enjoy the Gorge, recreate responsibly, and leave it better than you found it! (Photo credit to OnX.)

06/05/2026

We are aware of the issues affecting our website, and will have the issue resolved within the next 48 hours.
Thank you to everyone who reported our website being down!

04/14/2026

This morning, our Founder and Executive Director, Tanner Hoskins, met with members of Oregon legislative staff to discuss critical gaps families experience when official Search and Rescue operations end without locating the missing person.

We shared how families are often left without guidance, mental health resources, financial navigation, or awareness of continued search options — exactly the challenges we see in nearly every cold case we take on.

The conversation highlighted the importance of practical improvements, such as better transition support and referrals to vetted nonprofits that can extend disciplined searches in rural and remote terrain at no cost to families.

We’re encouraged by the interest shown today and remain deeply committed to advocating for families who feel abandoned when the official search concludes. PNWMPP will continue providing evidence-based, volunteer-driven searches while pushing for systemic change that honors both the missing and those left behind.

Thank you to our dedicated volunteers and donors who make this work possible — often at significant personal sacrifice. Your support allows us to be there when others have stepped back.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with a missing loved one in the Pacific Northwest, please reach out. We’re here to help.
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Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project

PNWMPP is dedicated to the search for and recovery of missing persons (cold-cases) in rural and remote locations of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana.

03/05/2026

Grateful for an exciting conversation today with representatives from DJI about how drone technology can assist the mission of the Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project.

Our team is always looking for ways to safely search more terrain and bring answers to families. Conversations like this help move that vision forward.

Thankful for the time and for companies willing to explore how their technology can support real-world missions.

— Tanner Hoskins
Founder & Executive Director
Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project

02/16/2026

Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project just launched our official GoFundMe campaign to help us continue search and recovery operations for missing persons across the region. Every deployment costs fuel, equipment, and time — and our volunteers show up because families deserve answers.

If you believe no family should feel forgotten, please consider donating or sharing the link. Even a share helps more than you know. Visibility is everything for a small nonprofit like ours.

Thank you for supporting the work, the mission, and the families still waiting for closure.

Support our cause by donating to The Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project.

02/10/2026

When search and rescue ends…
most families are told to go home and wait.

Wait without answers.
Wait without closure.

Countless families are left grieving, not knowing where their loved one is — or what happened to them.

No family should be left in limbo.

That’s where we step in.

We fill the gap.

And we never stop searching.