PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Search and rescue teams moved from a rescue mission to a recovery mission after not finding Jennifer Camus Moore, the woman who was swept away by a landslide near Dodson on Wednesday.
The search is slow and methodical due to the unique challenges the mud poses — including hidden holes, unstable footing, sticky texture and lack of visibility. During a Thursday afternoon update, officials said they are unable to find her car and only heavy machinery will be able to recover it.
They’re not sure how long it will take them to get to the vehicle. Their main goal now is to bring some closure to the Moore family.
Crews are working to clear landslide debris quickly before more rain possibly arrives later this week. Officials say the danger of more landslides is still high and the evacuation order for the area is still in place.
Teams from the Lake Oswego Fire Department, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted with the search.
They pulled back late Thursday afternoon to wait for additional heavy machinery.
Debris flow is believed to be about 10 to 12 feet deep in some areas and the surrounding area remains unstable.
Her husband, Charles Moore, said they were married for nearly 18 years and their anniversary was coming up in days. They had 2 children.
“I want to thank all the search-and-rescue teams that have been putting themselves at risk,” Moore said.
Jennifer, 50, worked as a charge nurse at Legacy Samaritan in their oncology unit.
“All of her friends that I’ve ever met, all of her patients, they all say the same thing: She’s a really hardworking nurse,” Charles said. “I had to go off work a couple years ago and she took a second job. She’s a hardworking person and a good person.”
He and his wife were traveling eastbound on I-84 in separate cars around 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday. As Moore was and his wife were caravaning home, there was some distance between them. He said his wife was following his car when all of a sudden he heard her screaming and crashing sounds over the phone.
Moore said the conditions were so bad he could not see what direction his wife’s vehicle went in following the landslide.
One lane of eastbound I-84 reopened by Thursday morning, after being closed at the Troutdale exit after the landslide spilled onto the freeway.