Missing Redmond-area woman found safe near Mt. Hood

(Update: Missing woman found safe, camping near Mt. Hood)

A Redmond-area woman reported missing Thursday was found camping Friday in the Mt. Hood National Forest, unaware a search for her was underway, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies located Lea Dawn Variz shortly after 10 a.m., Sgt. William Bailey said.

Variz “was located after a citizen reported seeing her vehicle,” Bailey said. “She was safe and unaware she had been reported missing.”

“We would like to thank everyone across the state who kept an eye out for her and assisted with the search,” the sergeant added.

De puties had sought the public’s help late Thursday afternoon in finding the 42-year-old Redmond-area woman who left her home last Saturday morning on a drive to the Portland area and had not been heard from since.

“Her cellphone has not been on since that day, and she has not been active on social media,” Bailey said in a news release.

The sheriff’s office shared a photo of her wearing the outfit, taken the day she disappeared, as well as a second photo of her and one of a similar car.

“That picture she shared with family on the day she went missing,” Bailey said. “So that’s why we have a picture of what she was wearing the day she went missing. Usually, we don’t have that. So in this case, having a photo of what she was wearing is unique. And so we’ve shared that with the public, in hopes it will help locate her.”