• Jeffrey Dale, an Adventist doctoral degree student, was reported missing on June 30, 2022, as he was attempting to reach the summit of Mount Jefferson.
• His body was found more than 1,800 feet down the mountain from the point he was last seen, indicating he likely fell during his climb.
• A GoFundMe page was created to help pay for the recovery of his remains with a private helicopter, and is now being used to help pay for funeral expenses.

13 July 2022 | The body of Jeffrey Dale, an Adventist doctoral degree student, was recovered on July 4, 2022, from the slopes of Mount Jefferson in Oregon, U.S., four days after he was reported missing.

Dale, 29, was reported missing on June 30, 2022, and had last been seen about 300 feet below the mountain’s 10,500-foot summit. Two climbing partners told deputies they’d lost sight of Dale near the summit after he decided to push on, though the group turned back due to weather conditions, reported KTVZ news.

With assistance from the Civil Air Patrol, high-resolution imagery was captured of the mountain near where Dale was last seen. Search and rescue teams were then able to identify where Dale was located. His body was found more than 1,800 feet down the mountain from the point he was last seen, indicating he likely fell during his climb, according to the Linn County Sheriff Office.

Judy Bond-Hernandez organized a GoFundMe page and raised more than $15,000 to help pay for a private helicopter from Bend’s Leading Edge Aviation, reported KTVZ news. According to the GoFundMe page, the terrain around the mountain is so rugged that search and rescue personnel could not recover him without the use of a helicopter. No government or search and rescue helicopter was available for the extrication, leading friends of the Dale family to seek out a helicopter to hire privately.

With the help of the private helicopter, Eugene Mountain Rescue climbers were dropped off on the mountain and they worked together on a short-haul lift of the remains to a nearby landing zone.

Dale was described as an experienced climber who had summited the peak of Mount Jefferson before, according to the GoFundMe page. Mount Jefferson is considered a challenging climb, especially the pinnacle of the summit. Nearly annually, at least one climber attempting Jefferson perishes, according to Wikipedia.

The goal of the GoFundMe page (which had topped $21,000 on July 5, 2022, with a set goal of $15,000) has been adjusted to $40,000 to assist the Dale family with funeral and related expenses. As of today, about $27,000 has been raised.

A memorial service for Dale will be held on Aug. 20, 2022, 3 p.m., at Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist church in Grants Pass, Oregon, U.S. The service will be livestreamed on the church’s website (www.grantspasschurch.com) for those unable to attend.

Dale attended Weimar College in California, U.S., graduated from Andrews University in Michigan, U.S., with a bachelor’s degree in theology, received a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Emory University in Georgia, U.S., , and was working on his doctorate in New Testament Studies at Baylor University in Texas, U.S., according to the GoFundMe page and his LinkedIn profile.

“No matter what we experience now, in the pages of the Bible we have hope that beyond this life there is a new day coming when everything will be made right,” Dale reportedly said in a sermon at Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist Church on Jan. 8, 2022.

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(Photo: Jeffrey Dale, an Adventist doctoral student, went missing on June 30, 2022, as he attempted to summit the peak of Mount Jefferson. His body was later recovered on July 4, 2022. Photo via Facebook page of Melanie Dale.)

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