GoFundMe/Sabrina Taylor Schmitt
A climber has died in Oregon after falling down a ravine while attempting to summit a local volcano, according to officials.
Crews immediately began searching the area, according to the LCSO, but were unable to locate the missing hiker for three days. Drone footage was used to help crews locate the climber’s precise location.
Joel died “doing something he loved, with the person he loved,” his mother said in an initial statement shared on GoFundMe. On Thursday, she confirmed that her son “has gone to be with the Lord,” whom she said Joel “loved" as well.
“There are too many stories to tell right now that confirm how God truly did orchestrate the right people to come together and go up there yesterday and to guide them to look in the correct spot,” April said in the follow-up statement.
North Sister.Lane County Sheriff’s Office
Lane County Sheriff’s Office
The area where Joel fell “is extremely dangerous” and cannot be reached on foot, according to the LCSO. The ravine is said to be “made up of extremely unstable large boulders,” they added.
Friends and family who assisted with the search for Joel “were able to spot Joel’s backpack, a blanket, a rainfly and sunscreen” with a drone and hunting scope, the GoFundMe said. They were also able to spot what appeared to be the missing climber’s remains.
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“[Joel] was a deep, caring, and compassionate spirit — not just in words, but through actions,” the victim’s parents toldThe Bulletin. They said their son enjoyed various outdoor activities including hiking, water skiing, backpacking and more.
Joel graduated from Mountain View High School in 2020 and helped coach the school’s nordic ski team, according to the GoFundMe. He was preparing to graduate from Oregon State University – Cascades with a degree in business administration this coming December.
“He’s just one of the most amazing kids I’ve met, for all the years I’ve been coaching,” Martin said Wednesday.
The family is attempting to set up a scholarship fund in Joel’s name. The GoFundMe was started to raise money for the scholarship in addition to funding Joel’s memorial service, assisting with family expenses and recovering the climber’s body from the mountain, the organizer said.
source: people.com
