MEACHAM, Ore. — Editor's note: The search for Hendrichs concluded on Saturday afternoon after a body believed to be hers was located in Meacham, Ore. Read more here.
Umatilla County Search and Rescue and Oregon State Police are coordinating a multi-agency search of the Meacham, Ore. area in hopes of locating a Star woman who has been missing since January.
56-year-old Deborah Hendrichs went missing just after 5 p.m. on Jan. 11 after running out of gas on Interstate 84 near Meacham, which is about two hours northwest of Ontario. According to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Hendrichs turned off her cellphone and left home in a black Toyota RAV4 (Idaho plate number DCU94) just after 9 a.m. that day.
The search is set to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2021, and continue through May 9, 2021. Teams will primarily search the areas surrounding the east side of Interstate 84 near milepost 238, where Hendrichs' abandoned vehicle was found after she was reported missing.
Roughly 90 people have committed to assist in the search. As many as ten K9 teams, four drones, and 35 ground searchers are expected to take part in the search, but the actual number won't be known until check-in on Saturday morning.
Portions of the Kamela Highway, Hancock Road, and the I-84 interchange bridge will be searched, as well as area creeks, wooded lands, and bodies of water. The goal is to locate any possible remains of Hendrichs or any items she may have been in possession of at the time of her disappearance.
Hunters and members of the general public are asked to stay out of the area as much as possible. Residents in the area should be aware that four drones will be flying above the area during the search, but they will not focus on homes or private residences.
For more information about the search efforts, click here.
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