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Scuba diver found dead on shoreline weeks after vanishing in river, Oregon cops say

Jeffery Scott Harris’ body was found two weeks after he was reported missing from the Umpqua River in Oregon, deputies said.
Jeffery Scott Harris’ body was found two weeks after he was reported missing from the Umpqua River in Oregon, deputies said. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

A 47-year-old experienced scuba diver was found dead along a river shoreline weeks after disappearing in Oregon, deputies said.

The body of Jeffery Scott Harris was found at about 8:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 12, along the Umpqua River near Sparrow Park Road, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

The Eugene man went scuba diving Jan. 28 “near the mouth of the Pacific Ocean” in Winchester Bay, deputies said.

A friend reported Harris missing hours later after he never returned from the river, deputies said.

The search is on after an Oregon man went missing while scuba diving in an Oregon bay, according to a sheriff’s office.
The search is on after an Oregon man went missing while scuba diving in an Oregon bay, according to a sheriff’s office. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Rescuers said they used boats, a helicopter, ATVs and police dogs to search the area but never found him.

Harris’ body was found 15 days later.

Deputies said a medical examiner is investigating his death.

Winchester Bay is about 85 miles southwest of Eugene.

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This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Scuba diver found dead on shoreline weeks after vanishing in river, Oregon cops say."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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