Stranded hunters rescued by marine patrol
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY – (Release from Baker County Sheriff’s Office) On January 30, 2022 at approximately 6:39 p.m., Sheriff Travis Ash was notified of three hunters that were lost on the Snake River near the confluence of the Powder River. Neil Chaney had been hunting with his two sons and a family friend in the Lookout Mountain Unit. After shooting an elk in the canyons above Brownlee Reservoir they formed a plan to pack it down to the water and retrieve it with a boat. Neil Chaney hiked out of the canyon to the boat but was unable to get the boat started and could not return to the remaining hunters on the shoreline.
BCSO Marine Deputy Paxton, along with Sheriff Ash, responded to the Moonshine boat launch. Conditions were approximately 30 degrees with wind and blowing snow. Despite icy and snowy conditions, they were able to launch and after traveling around 8 river miles, Deputy Paxton and Sheriff Ash reached the hunting party at approximately 10:16 p.m. The young hunters, identified as Noah Chaney (20 yoa), Isaac Logan (20 yoa) and Neil Chaney Jr. (23 yoa), used flint and steel to start a fire. They were cold and thirsty but otherwise in good condition. The hunters, along with the elk, were loaded onto the boat and reunited with their family members outside of Richland.
Marine operations at night, especially in inclement weather conditions, are extremely risky for everyone involved. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office strongly encourages individuals to create contingency plans when hunting along waterways to mitigate risk for all.
