Boulders, brush and bravery, but no boy
The Oregonian
Portland, Oregon
October 18, 2006
By MATTHEW PREUSCH
Helicopters join climbers and horse teams in third day of search at Crater Lake
CRATER LAKE — Improved weather Tuesday returned helicopters to the air and searchers to the woods in the increasingly desperate hunt for an 8-year-old Portland boy missing in Crater Lake National Park for three days.
“Everyone is still very hopeful and very positive,” said Gary Panich, a National Park Service search supervisor. “We still think we’re in a window of opportunity for a good result.”
But searchers haven’t turned up any sign of Samuel Boehlke since he disappeared Saturday in the woods north of the lake while touring the park with his father.
Rain Sunday and snow Monday hampered searchers, grounded helicopters and turned roads to ice while encasing the surrounding subalpine forest in a cold, white shell.
But Tuesday, one of two helicopters at the scene took advantage of clearing skies to make passes along the caldera rim above the lake, elevation 6,200 feet. Nearby, an elite team of climbers from Yosemite National Park rappelled down the rocks to inspect hidden ledges.
Meanwhile, nearly 175 searchers on foot or horseback paced through stands of hemlock and pine looking for the boy.
“As far as resources, this is one of the biggest (searches) that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Pete Reinhardt, operations supervisor for the search and a Crater Lake employee for 14 years.
It’s not uncommon for hikers to be late coming in during the summer or for winter backcountry skiers to become stranded, but disappearances are rare, Reinhardt said.
The search is focused on a 4,000-acre area above the north shore of the lake, a part of the park with few trails, thick forest, occasional pumice plains and numerous outcroppings of lava rock.
The boy was last seen on a rock embankment above the 33-mile rim road that winds along the caldera. On one side of the road, the embankment leads up into the forest. On the other, a low rock wall winds along steep cliffs that drop about 800 feet to the blue water below.
Other pages in this section
- Crater Lake Symposium Convenes Researchers – Fall/Winter 2006
- Brian Smith plans to answer call of world’s highest peak – December 31, 2006
- Survey says: Snow level ‘nearly normal’ – December 29, 2006
- Fatal crash closes Highway 97 – December 29, 2006
- Under proposal, Crater Lake entry fees would double – December 22, 2006
- Oregon Neutral In Shift From National Parks – December 15, 2006
- Big fee hikes at national parks are a bit too big – December 21, 2006
- Proposal would increase Crater Lake fees – December 18, 2006
- America’s Largest Bald Eagle Festival is President’s Day Weekend 2007 in the Klamath Basin of South Central Oregon – December 19, 2006
- Since You Asked: how much snow does Crater Lake get each winter? – December 14, 2006
- Volunteers become Park Service’s public face – November 28, 2006
- Pacific Crest Trail journey is a repeat performance – November 28, 2006
- Remembering a little boy lost – November 23, 2006
- Memorial Service Scheduled for Boy, 8, Lost at Crater Lake – November 18, 2006
- See old-growth, National Creek Falls on short trail – November 17, 2006
- Pine Beetles Can Set Stage for Disastrous Forest Fires – November 6, 2006
- Mom hopes to use dogs to find son – October 25, 2006
- Search for boy winds down – October 21, 2006
- Ceremony honors missing 8-year-old – October 21, 2006
- Search, hope for Portland boy all but over – October 21, 2006
- Searchers scour woods in vain – October 19, 2006
- Crater Lake Highway Renamed – October 18, 2006
- ‘Frustrating’ search – October 18, 2006
- Missing boy faces snow, wind – October 17, 2006
- Searchers continue to look for Portland boy missing near Crater Lake – October 17, 2006
- Snow slows search for boy missing at Crater Lake – October 17, 2006
- Massive search underway for Portland boy missing at Crater Lake – October 16, 2006
- Boy still missing at Crater Lake – October 16, 2006
- Mount Scott rewards hikers with a peak experience – September 29, 2006
- ‘The Good Fire’ – September 25, 2006
- Block Island will be featured on ABC show – September 22, 2006
- Bybee Complex Fires – September 14, 2006
- Snow job at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon – September 7, 2006
- Trees of heaven – September 7, 2006
- WebCam now available to view Crater Lake fire – September 7, 2006
- Natural end sought for Crater Lake fire – September 06, 2006
- Bybee Fire Complex Fact Sheet – September 2, 2006
- Crater Lake science and learning center opens – August 28, 2006
- Scientist to lecture about pines threatened by rust – August 27, 2006
- Lightning-stoked burns still growing – August 27, 2006
- Grand Opening of Science and Learning Center – August 24, 2006
- Newest Puzzle Fire near Mt. Jefferson tops 4,100 Acres – August 22, 2006
- Roving the Floor of Crater Lake – August 21, 2006
- Weather makes firefighters work harder – August 20, 2006
- Found in the ashes – August 20, 2006
- Crater Lake due for odd visitor – August 18, 2006
- Army veteran finally gets to run – August 14, 2006
- Crater Lake hosts marathon – August 13, 2006
- ‘What you see is what you get’ – August 12, 2006
- Tourists watch fire left to burn at Crater Lake – August 7, 2006
- Terry Richard picks Oregon’s best mountain hikes – August 6, 2006
- Bybee fire use update – August 3, 2006
- Crater Lake will help clear brush – August 1, 2006
- John Carl Owings – August 1, 2006
- Finding their place in the sun – August 1, 2006
- Building improvements, relocation of the primary parking lot – July 28, 2006
- ‘Vets’ highway’ idea reaches impasse – July 26, 2006
- The essence of Oregon summer: visiting Crater Lake – July 23, 2006
- Bill would boost size of Upper Klamath Refuge – July 10, 2006
- History into stories – July, 2006
- Find haven of coolness along Red Blanket Creek – July 14, 2006
- U.S. considers closer watch on volcanoes – July 13, 2006
- Lack of cash strains national parks – June 24, 2006
- Volcano Man: New Superintendent Enjoys Craters of the Moon – June 23, 2006
- Can bicycling be Oregon’s Maine event? – June 16, 2006
- Annie Creek Restaurant set to open at Crater Lake – May 25, 2006
- Rouse to mark 50 years – April 23, 2006
- Gerald L. ‘Gary’ Hathaway – December 12, 2001
- Senator Boxer announces National Scenic Byway grants for northern California All-American Road – March 31, 2006
- Walking on Crater Lake – February 21, 2006
- Dispute swirls around geothermal project – January 14, 2006
- William Arthur ‘Bill’ Bloom – January 13, 2006
- Crater restaurant-gift shop nears completion – January 05, 2006
- Crater Lake: preserved in all its glory –
