Body Of Missing Woman Recovered After Columbia River Gorge Landslide

The body of a nurse was recovered Saturday (January 23) after her vehicle was swept over by a landslide in Northwest Oregon earlier this month, according to KATU.

Multonomah County officials said the victim was 50-year-old Jennifer Moore, of Warrendale, who went missing during a Columbia River Gorge landslide near Dodson on January 13. Reports say Moore was driving when the landslide rolled over several roads near Interstate 84. She was an oncology nurse who worked at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center for 17 years, according to the hospital.

Searching was initially difficult due to the unstable scene, journalists said. Firefighters even deployed a drone with a thermal imaging camera, but they were unsuccessful.

Come Saturday, several agencies did another search for Moore's body or vehicle. "A private contractor was able to locate Moore's car with ground-penetrating radar (GPR), which the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said was buried under 15 feet of mud, rock, and debris," KATU said.

River Patrol Unit Sgt. Steve Dangler described it was a "rough day" due to the amount of debris surrounding the vehicle. Reporters say it's a situation he's never seen before.

“It’s not the outcome everyone would have hoped for, but at least at this point it brings closure to the family and allows them to begin that grieving process,” Dangler said.

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