Missing woman found at La Pine State Park
(Update: More details on search)
An Idaho woman who had been missing on a bike ride with her dog at La Pine State Park was found by a deputy late Tuesday night, about a mile northwest of the campground, concluding an extensive search, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the La Pine State Park Campground shortly before 9 p.m. on the report of a missing overdue woman, Sgt. Don Manning said.
They learned from Bonnie England’s husband that the 69-year-old woman had left about 3 1/2 hours earlier on her bike, to take her dog, a labradoodle named Scout, for a walk. She did not have a cellphone, flashlight or food or water with her, Manning said.
Patrol deputies and one assigned to Search and Rescue conducted an extensive 2 1/2-hour search, using several techniques to try to find England, the sergeant said. They covered about a five-mile area on several hiking trails and Forest Service roads and eventually located England and her dog, in good health.
The discovery came shortly after deputies said on Facebook they were seeking tips from the public to find the woman and dog, Sgt. William Bailey said.
Bailey said a deputy found England and her dog around 11:30 p.m. after following what was believed to be her tracks on a dirt road.
“The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to bring a communication device and other emergency survival items when venturing out in the forest,” Manning said in a news release.