JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. (Feb. 16, 2026) — Authorities are searching for a 25-year-old man who went missing Monday afternoon during a rafting trip near Greenwall Rapids on the Illinois River.
Gabriel Vaughn was last seen around 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 16 near Greenwall Rapids, according to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office. Vaughn had been part of a rafting group but left to hike alone into the surrounding woods, with plans to exit the area toward the Chetco drainage, officials said.
Vaughn is described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. At the time he was last seen, he was wearing a blue dry suit along with a helmet and a life jacket.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been notified but is currently unable to deploy a helicopter because of weather conditions, authorities said. Local Search and Rescue teams have also been alerted, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about Vaughn’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office at 541-474-5123.
UPDATE: Gabriel has been located safely. A private party that has been coordinating with Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and the Coast Guard found Gabriel approximately 2 miles downstream from where he was last seen.
The Coast Guard is currently working on an extraction plan to get Gabriel to an area hospital.
No additional information was released by authorities at this time.
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