La Pine man dies in 100-foot jump into Prineville Reservoir

A 28-year-old La Pine man drowned Saturday after jumping from a rock face over 100 feet into the Prineville Reservoir, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies were dispatched around 3:25 p.m. to the report that someone had jumped off Dinosaur Rock into the water and had not surfaced, said Sgt. Bill Elliott.

Deputies arrived and learned Christopher Brown of La Pine had climbed to the top of the rock and jumped off the rock face into the water, Elliott said. Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate Brown.

Around 3:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office called the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Dive Team to help find the man’s body, Elliott said.

They arrived and immediately deployed, and after about an hour of searching found Brown’s body in about 65 feet of water, the sergeant said. He was taken to a Prineville funeral home.

While calling the death an accident, Elliott also said in a news release that “alcohol and marijuana are believed to be a factor in this incident.”

“The Crook County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind everyone to exercise caution when enjoying the local waterways and to refrain from jumping off of any objects into a body of water,” Elliott added.