Josephine Co. Search and Rescue called out three times Saturday

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – Search and rescue crews in Josephine County responded to three separate incidents that occurred within 24 hours of each other.

According to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, at about 1:30 a.m. on June 16 search and rescue crews were summoned to the scene of a single-vehicle crash near the Hellgate Overlook on Galice Road.

JCSO said the vehicle went through a rock retaining wall and tumbled down nearly 400 feet, coming to rest near the edge of the Rogue River. One woman was found dead after the crash. The JSCO Search and Rescue team recovered the body of the woman and used an unmanned aerial vehicle to search for any other potential victims. None were found.

At 10:40 a.m. the same day, JSCO Search and Rescue responded to a report of a 29-year-old missing woman. She was located by a deputy at one of the Cathedral Hills trailheads.

In a separate incident at about 3:30 p.m., Search and Rescue members responded to a reported drowning near the Robertson Bridge boat ramp. JSCO said a man riding a jet ski disappeared downstream of the ramp. He was later found dead at the bottom of the river. According to JSCO, the man was not wearing a personal floatation device.

“With an increase in water-related recreation during the summer, the sheriff’s office would like to remind citizens to wear life jackets at all times while recreating,” JSCO wrote.