Date: 02/13/18
By: Lt. Bryan Husband, Special Services Coordinator
Lost Subject: Jessica Hall, 21 year old Redmond female
Reporting Party: Rita Hall, 55 year old Redmond female
On 02/12/18, at about 7:31 pm, the Deschutes County Sheriff‘s Office received a report from Rita Hall that she had received a text message from her daughter, Jessica Hall, stating her vehicle had broken down in an unknown forested location in Deschutes County and needed assistance. Rita had received her daughter’s text at about 4:02 pm, which included an attempt at describing her location. Rita attempted to locate her daughter without success, at which time she requested assistance from the Sheriff‘s Office. It should be noted, Jessica’s cell phone had also died during this initial search period. With temperatures expected to be near zero degrees in the high mountain areas, a search was initiated immediately.
Seven Deschutes County Sheriff‘s Office Deputies began searching for Jessica in and around the Lava Butte/Benham Falls area, where she had described her location (as she believed it to be) to her mother in the text. The Sheriff‘s Office was also assisted by the US Forest Service, Sunriver Police Dept and Bend Police Dept, who searched other possible locations. Jessica’s cell phone was pinged, but returned with a possible radius of over nine miles. Deschutes County Sheriff‘s Office Search and Rescue was contacted and began working with cell phone data to narrow the search area. As this process took place, Deputies and Officers continued to search through the night and early morning hours.
17 DCSO SAR Volunteers were dispatched to various search areas including Skyliner Rd, Cascade Lakes Hwy, USFS 41 Rd and the Lava Butte/Benham Falls area. On 02/13/18, at about 7:15 am, Jessica Hall was located by DCSO SAR Volunteers with her vehicle on a spur road, just north of the Cascade Lakes Hwy and approximately 5 miles west of Bend. Jessica was cold, but otherwise in good condition. Jessica’s vehicle battery had died as well as her cell phone and was staying bundled up inside of her vehicle, in the hope that someone would locate her. Jessica did not require medical attention and she was provided a courtesy transport to her Mother’s residence.
The Sheriff‘s Office would like to remind those venturing into less traveled areas to tell someone where they are going and to carry basic survival gear with them. If you find yourself in a situation where you are lost and have cell service, we recommend you call 911 before your cell phone battery dies. This may assist searchers in getting a better location to begin searching.
