Search for missing UO professor Xu resumes
EUGENE, Ore.--Crews searched the Three Sisters Wildnerness for Daming Xu for more than a week last November, the only clues were a set of footprints that might be his and sighting of the University of Oregon professor by a Eugene couple.
So they suspended the search. But two days later -- a major break. A hiker found part of a guidebook believed to be Xu's in the French Pete Creek drainage area November 13. Finally, crews could narrow their search from the 50 square mile area to the nine mile stretch of creek.
But bad weather intervened and the search was suspended Nov. 18.
Now, Lane County Search and Rescue coordinator John Miller is preparing to lead another search effort. Around 30 people will head to the French Pete Creek area Friday morning and are prepared to stay through Sunday.
Search leader explains plan: PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
"The theory is he dropped down into the drainage, which is very very cold and succumbed to the area, the hypothermia," said Miller. "And the book was located here. So far, the rest of it's a mystery."
Miller says they have pieced together what happened to Xu, based on the clues they have.
Xu was hiking the Ollalie Mountain Trail. On the way back up the trail, he turned south instead of north, where his car was parked near Terwilliger Springs. Xu continued south, encountering many "decision points" -- which Miller refers calls areas where "I can go this way, or I can go this way." Xu got off route and is believed to have ended up near the French Pete Creek drainage, where the guidebook was found.
"So we'll be working the upper part of the creek," said Miller. "As well as having a camp here [the middle part of the creek] and working down in this area down in here."
Other crews will be stationed at the lower end of the creek, working their way toward the middle.
Miller says the searchers will comb the forest until Sunday evening. If Xu's body or any clues have not been found, they will stop actively searching for Xu. That means crews will likely not search the forest formally.
