Hiker missing after plunging hundreds of feet off Oregon mountain, searchers say

A 33-year-old hiker last seen plunging hundreds of feet off Mount Jefferson in Oregon on Friday remains missing as searchers pore over “extreme” terrain, authorities say.

Steven Vanpelt of Salem was descending the 10,495-foot peak at 11:46 a.m.. when he fell hundreds of feet out of sight, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office reported in a statement.

Onlookers lost sight of Vanpelt as he plunged in treacherous terrain and an extensive search over the weekend failed to find him, sheriff’s officials wrote.

Aerial and ground searches have scoured dangerous terrain including “snow, cliffs, large boulders, crevices and rock scree,” the office wrote.

“Deputies have called for help from multiple teams throughout Oregon as teams exhaust themselves in the search effort,” sheriff’s officials wrote.

Corvallis Mountain Rescue, Eugene Mountain Rescue, Deschutes Mountain Rescue and Portland Mountain Rescue are assisting with the search, while Lifeflight and the U.S. Army National Guard are performing aerial searches.

This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Hiker missing after plunging hundreds of feet off Oregon mountain, searchers say."