*** Oregon Student found Deceased ***

Date: Mon, 27 May 1996 12:01:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: JKMartin <jkmartin@teleport.com>
To: SAR LIST <sar-l@IslandNet.com>
Subject: Search Mission/Body Recovery

Searchers from Marion County Search and Rescue, Salem, OR., assisted by a
trail crew from the Detroit Ranger District, USFS Willamette National
Forest, recovered the body of 37-year-old Marek Lees, Eugene, OR., on
Saturday, May 25, from Short Creek (Sect 20 T9S R7E Willamette Meridian)
on the Detroit Ranger District, Willamette National Forest.

SUMMARY: On 05/16/96 a vehicle, owned by LEES, was discovered by State
Police in the Breitenbush Campground. LEES had been reported missing to
Eugene, OR., police on May 8. An Explorer Post 18 strike team (MARTIN) was
dispatched to investigate further. It was established that the abandoned
car had shown up in the campground on about April 19 and that members of a
local commune found some backpacking equipment in the Mansfield Creek
drainage in the first week of May. A quick search was conducted in the
Lower Mansfield Creek drainage and of the Short Lake trail. As night
fell on May 16, searchers flagged the location where the backpacking
equipment had been located and secured from the area.

An Investigation Branch (GREER) was established. Friends in Eugene were
interviewed; bank accounts, phone calling cards and ATM accounts flagged;
the automobile was processed for signs of foul-play.

An Incident Commander (D. MYERS)and Operations/Planning Chief (MARTIN)
were assigned.

On Saturday, May 18, the first search was conducted, using canine and
horse posse resources. Additionally, flyers were posted in the City of
Detroit, OR., USFS campgrounds and at the Breitenbush Retreat and
Conference Center. Horse search was inhibited by severly damaged roads and
trails and significant amounts of blow-down, left over from record-setting
storms this past winter. Canine search was inhibited by continual light,
occasional heavy, rainfall.  All division assignments for this day were
completed. One horse was injured, but will recover.

The May 18 effort was suspended at 1800 Hrs.

During the week of May 20, flyers left in the Detroit area generated
several leads, including the possibility that LEES might have been
captured on surveilance videotape from a local market. This was not
conclusive, however. Other reported sightings could not be substantiated.
Another search effort was planned for May 25, same IC and OPS/PLANNING.

On May 25 five riders from Marion County Mounted Posse (KOPSER), three
canine teams from Search One, Tualatin, OR., (NIEMAN) and an Explorer
Post-18 3-person team (GRAHAM) began the second operational period. Canine
teams re-searched the "Lower Mansfield" division, under much improved
weather conditions (Clear, 65 degrees, light wind). The explorers began
grid search of the west end of "Lower Mansfield," starting two hours after
canine teams began. Posse teams began working new search gound in the
"East Brietenbush" division. Again, posse was inhibited by blow-down, and
washout. One horse was injured, suffering a lacerated foreleg, while
crossing a slide area. The horse will recover.

Post-18 located LEES' in Short Creek at 1500 hrs. He had come to rest
in several feet of water and only a few inches of the body was visible
above the turbulent stream.

LEES had been a student at the University of Oregon and was a British
national.

My thanks to: Marion County Mounted Posse, Salem Area REACT (PERRY) for
ground-feeding and communications support, Search One canines (NIEMAN)
Tualatin, OR., Marion County Search and Rescue Explorer Post-18 (GRAHAM),
the USFS Detroit Ranger District, Trail/Fire Crew (HAYDON), and the staff
of the Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat Center.

JK Martin, Operations
Marion County SAR Post-18

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