Talent, Ore. — The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in finding a missing man.
Air Force Veteran Todd Mcfarland left the White City VA facility on Christmas day. Someone spotted his truck eight miles up Wagner Creek Road in Talent more than a week later, it appeared to have been stuck on ice. There was no sign of the 47-year-old.
“He could have gotten disoriented or fallen off the road or someone could have helped him down,” his brother Scott Mcfarland said.
Family members and friends have searched the area every day since Mcfarland’s truck was found.
“Not knowing is the most troublesome point. Maybe he’s out there? Still it’s hard to go back and forth with being hopeful and let’s just get this done,” Scott said.
Jackson County Search and Rescue Crews along with scent sniffing canines have also been scouring the area, but Sgt. Shawn Richards said the truck is the only clue that’s come up. The remains of past winter storms is interfering with their missions.
“It’s not only steep but from wind blown snow there’s anywhere from shin high snow to waist deep snow,” he said.
Scott said while he’s hoping for the best, he’s preparing for the worst. And they won’t give up searching until they find his brother.
“I feel exuberant about the love and hope people have even after all this time,” he said. “When family is thinking, ‘hey we’ll see you in heaven,’ others are saying ‘anything could have happened,'”
Sgt. Richards said search and rescue had a record number of calls in Jackson County for the month of December. He said crews responded to 19 calls, about a dozen more than an average month. Richards blames the spike on bad weather and said they’ve had to rescue a lot of people who have gotten their vehicles stuck in snow while recreating in the woods.
If you have seen Todd Mcfarland or his truck, or have any ideas as to where he could be, you’re asked to call the sheriff’s office at 541-774-6800.
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