Volunteer search fails to find missing Bend man
(Update: Update with search outcome; drones sought)
Another volunteer search effort was conducted Saturday for a Bend man missing for nearly three weeks.
Chase Hove last was seen on June 5, a few days before his 27 th birthday, and his car was found not long after, on the south side of town.
Representatives of Destiny Search Project, who organized the search and one a week ago, said they’re acting based on what the family requests.
They said Hove has struggled with mental issues in the past, and if anyone finds him to immediately call 911 and not approach him.
Saturday’s search organizer said he wanted to help because he understands how hard this on the family and Hove as well.
“I’m going to say it real honestly here is that, when I saw it was a mental health issue — I’ve suffered with mental health issues before, and it touched me,” said Eric Baker, director of technology for Destiny Search Project.
“I felt like I kind of knew what was going on with him, and it just hit me in a way, and when I kind of looked at my skill set and realized I had the tools to do this, I had to get involved,” he said.
Saturday’s operation headquarters was the Bend Athletic Club parking lot and sought people with kayaks and who could hike through light to medium brush.,
You can monitor the search effort by following the Central Oregon Search Readiness Project on Facebook.
In a posting to that page Saturday night, organizers thanked all who took part in the latest search effort.
“Unfortunately, we did not locate him, but have eliminated another key area in the search,” the posting said.
Baker said they were seeking volunteers with drones who can search during the week, covering larger areas than volunteers can on the ground.
Before last weekend’s search, Destiny Search Project officials said Hove’s family was “launching a volunteer-based search to find him and bring him home.”
You can join the Find Chase Hove Facebook group for updated information and announcements:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/findchase/
For further information about the Destiny Search Project, visit:
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Earlier story:
Chase Hove worked at Goodwill for seven years and never missed a day, according to his mother. Now, he’s been missing since Monday, June 5.
His mother said Chase was on several medications to treat a mental disability. When he’s off the medication, she says, he goes into psychosis.
She said she wants to get the word out, so people will keep an eye out for her son.
“This is day eight,” Tammie Hove said Tuesday. “So I’m just out there, hoping that people can help me find him.”
His mother is worried that eight days without medication might cause Chase to become disoriented, which she says just makes it more imperative to find him.
On June 5, three days before his 27th birthday, Chase was seen in southeast Bend. His car was found in that part of town, prompting officials to search that area.
His family said they have reason to believe Chase could be in a forest somewhere.
But making his disappearance more concerning — Chase didn’t take anything with him.
“He left everything,” his mother said. “He left his bank accounts, he left all of his passwords, he left his phone.”
Bend police sent a drone out in the area last Friday to search for Chase but said they did not find any traces.
