Zoey Dorsey -- Found Alive 3/18/10

Child missing from her rural Brookings' home: Zoey Dorsey, age 4, reported missing 3 p.m. Wednesday

Published: March 18, 2010



A four-year-old Brookings girl, Zoey Dorsey, was reported missing from her family home Wednesday afternoon at the top of Mountain Drive, approximately two miles east of Brookings up the Chetco River.

Zoey, born July 14, 2005, is described as 42 inches tall, 40 pounds, brown eyes, brown shoulder length hair, and was last seen wearing a white princes and frog t-shirt, blue pants, and white purple and blue tennis shoes that light up.

Zoey was reported missing from her residence located at the top of Mountain Drive at about 3 p.m. Curry County Deputies and State Troopers responded to the area immediately, while Sheriff John Bishop and Dan Brattain from Cal-Ore Life Flights flew the area in a helicopter owned by Brattain.

The Brookings Police department received a 911 transfer from Humbolt County regarding a cell call of a missing person. Brookings Dispatch then obtained the information and forwarded the information to the Curry County Sheriff's Office.

Additional members of the Sheriff's Department then responded with Curry County Search and Rescue. As the initial search was being conducted a mutual aid request was issued and SAR members from Josephine, Jackson, Coos, Del-Norte, and Klamath Counties started responding to the area. Jackson County also sent two helicopters to the area with one of those having a forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR) system. These counties belong to the regional Search and Rescue group known as CORSAR. (California Oregon Regional Search and Rescue)

A reverse 911 service known as ‘A Child Is Missing' was contacted and they notified residences within a three-mile radius of the missing child's home. The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was contacted, who in turn initiated their protocols, which include notifying the FBI, a National Response Team (Team Adam), and placing Zoey's picture and information on their web sight.

Sheriff Bishop had just returned from the Center located in Washington D.C. on Sunday after attending training which the Center puts on for Law Enforcement Executives regarding missing children and searches. Other information was also sent out to Law Enforcement agencies.

Curry County Sheriff's Office deployed their mobile command search and rescue unit along with the communications vehicle to the scene to help in efforts.

Several people have been interviewed by Detectives from the State Police, Curry County and the City of Brookings. The interviews helped establish a time line in this case.

Due to darkness, brushy and steep terrain the helicopters and some of the ground teams were called back to the command center. Specialized teams from all of the counties search and rescue teams then were sent out after dark to continue the search throughout the night. The United States Coast Guard then flew after dark with their searchlights, helping the ground teams.

A state animal trapper was also contacted due to recent sighting of a large mountain lion in the area.

Dozens of people have called and offered assistance in searching for Zoey but due to the big turn out from the trained Search and Rescue teams from all of the counties the volunteers have not had to be utilized as of this release. The volunteers may be integrated later with search teams to help battle the search and rescue members' fatigue.

The Oregon Air National Guard who has trained with the Search and Rescue teams was requested for flights with a FLIR and will arrive in the morning of the 18th. Additional Units from Klamath and Jackson Counties were arriving throughout the night to help with the command center, which is organizing the search efforts.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. NCMEC has issued a missing child flyer nationally, which can be accessed on their website. Anyone who may have any information is asked to call the Curry County Sheriff's Office.

http://www.currycountyreporter.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=5754

I pray she will be found soon, and unharmed.

Sheriff: No leads on fate of missing 4-year-old girl

March 18, 2010 05:57 pm


Aerial view of Dorsey home

Search and rescue team members are briefed before resuming the search for Zoey Dorsey Thursday morning. The Pilot/Arwyn RiceMore than 24 hours after four-year-old Zoey Dorsey disappeared from her mountaintop home near Brookings, a massive search continued Thursday and authorities had no solid leads on what happened to the girl.
Authorities are considering three possibilities: that she was taken by a mountain lion, kidnapped or that she simply walked away from her home.

All indications so far are that Zoey wandered away from her home on Mountain Drive, perched high on a ridge a few miles east of Brookings, Curry County Sheriff John Bishop said at a Thursday noon press conference.

“There is no evidence of an abduction,” Bishop said.

The Dorsey home is located at the end of a long, winding country road with no secondary access.

There were no suspicious persons or vehicles seen in the area, and there are no known offenders in the area, Bishop said.

Small children can go a long way in a hurry, he said. When they find themselves lost or in trouble, they often hide and will not come out for searchers.

Another concern is mountain lions.

“There were reports of a large male mountain lion in the area three days ago,” Bishop said.

A state trapper was brought in on Wednesday, his dogs, trained to track lions, indicated that at least one had been in the area of the Dorsey home, but there was no way to tell if the lion had been there a day ago, or a week ago.

No evidence of a mountain lion attack has been found by any of the 60-plus search and rescue members scouring the area, he said, but it is still a possibility.

In the early morning hours Thursday, the Coast Guard used a helicopter with a powerful spotlight to assist specially trained night search teams.

A National Guard Blackhawk helicopter arrived in on scene at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning and searched the area around the girl’s family home using Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR).

FLIR enables helicopter crews to see heat signatures of living things against the cooler earthen background. While several small animals were seen, no human heat signature was found.

Once the scan was complete, ground crews began a line search, Bishop said. In a line search personnel proceed forward together in a line, flagging anything they find on the ground.

Three other helicopters assisted ground crews, while two additional helicopters were on standby.

Searchers are looking for any sign of Zoe, including her clothing, shoes, toys or blood.


Zoey Dorsey has been missing since Wednesday afternoon.
When Zoe was last seen at her home at 3 p.m. Wednesday, she was wearing a white “Princess and the Frog” shirt, blue pants and “light-up” tennis shoes.

Searchers hoped that during the night they would spot Zoey’s shoes, which have flashing lights on them. No lights were seen.

Zoey may have had a new toy bucket with her when she disappeared, Bishop said.

Zoey’s mother, Brooke, picked her up Wednesday from the Head Start program at Upper Chetco School, four miles east of Brookings on North Bank Chetco River Road, Bishop said.

Brooke and Zoe drove to Dollar Tree in Harbor, where they purchased several new toys, some of which have not been accounted for and may have been taken by Zoe when she wandered off, Bishop said.

The shopping trip also provided authorities with a clear time line of Zoey’s whereabouts leading up to her disappearance. Sheriff’s deputies have reviewed receipts and video tapes at Dollar Tree and determined when Brooke and Zoey left the store.

When the Dorseys returned home, Brooke walked from the car into the family home, where her husband and baby waited, but Zoey did not follow.

The family searched their property for the girl and, when they couldn’t find her, called 911.

“We’ve all heard the saying, ‘It can happen that fast,’” Bishop said.

No more than an half-hour passed between the time the family began searching and making the 911 call, he said.

Wednesday afternoon, Bishop reported Zoey’s disappearance to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which immediately posted information on their Web site, www.missingkids.com.

The FBI has been informed as part of a NCMEC agreement.

By Thursday afternoon volunteers from the community were being called on to assisted search teams.

Individuals who have signed up to be a member of a search team at either the Brookings Police Department or Curry County Sheriff's Department in Gold Beach may be used as needed to spell exhausted search and rescue workers, Bishop said.

More than 60 search and rescue workers from five surrounding counties responded Wednesday, and more arrived Thursday morning.

Because of the extremely difficult terrain in the search area, volunteers will be assigned according to their abilities, he said.

“Some of our searchers are literally crawling through brush on their hands and knees,” Bishop said.



Perched on a ridge, the home overlooks steep wooded slopes. The Pilot/Scott GravesThe terrain near the Dorsey family home is extremely steep, covered with brush and in parts, heavily forested. It backs up to a large, uninhabited area.

Volunteers who might not be physically able to join the foot search may be able to serve as spotters in vehicles on logging roads, Bishop said.

At 4 p.m. Thursday searchers began a new tactic, recording a family voice and broadcasting it from a speaker mounted on a Civil Air Patrol aircraft flying over the search area.

Four tracking dogs brought to the scene by search and rescue teams have been unable to follow Zoe’s scent due to the rugged terrain and continued high winds.

Wednesday and Thursday temperatures in the Brookings area were higher than average, in the low 70s, which is good news for the inadequately dressed girl, but the night time temperatures dipped into the mid 40s with gusting winds.

“Every (daylight) minute that goes by is our worst enemy,” Bishop said.

The Dorsey family has asked to have their privacy respected and that non-rescue personnel do not trespass on their property. They have not designated a family spokesman.

The Curry Coastal Pilot has had no contact with the family.

http://www.currypilot.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114968

I pray that Zoey is found safe.

UPDATE: Four-year-old missing near Brookings: FOUND ALIVE

Last Update: 3/18 11:47 pm



Zoey was located at about 5:15pm less than two miles away from her residence in an area of dense vegetation and steep terrain by independent volunteer searchers, Don Hodges, Robert Crump, and Peggy Crump. All of the searchers live in brookings.

Upon locating Zoey the Coast Guard helicopter which was flying at the time was summoned. A Rescue Swimmer was lowered and then Zoey was airlifted from the location flown to the Brooking’s Airport where she was then transferred into a waiting ambulance. Zoey was then transported to Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City, CA where she was evaluated and treated for exposure after being missing for over 26 hours.

Zoey’s parents transported to Sutter Coast where they were reunited with her.

This draws to an end one of the largest Search and Rescue Missions ever in Curry County. Sheriff Bishop would like to thank the hundreds of Search and Rescue volunteers from all over Oregon who responded the area. The businesses in the community who donated all of the water and food for the searchers, and then to all of the volunteer searchers from the community.

Because of all this cooperation a little 4 year girl who would not have survived another night in the woods and her parents were re-united.

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Four-year-old-missing-near-Brookings-FOUND/TYQeM3uvIU-twO846Fc5lw.cspx

That's great news! Hopefully she'll never wander off again.

I'm glad they found her. She must have been terrified after wandering almost two miles away from home and not knowing how to get back.

Fantastic! I cried when I first heard she was found alive. Tears of JOY! Thank God!

Quite a miracle, she was out there for 26 hours!! What scared me was the talk of the large male mountain lion being spotted in the area just days ago. Or she could have easily fallen to her death considering the steep terrain of the property. Kudos to all those that participated in the search and found her so quickly. I can only imagine how terrified all of them were. I know I would hold onto her and never let go!!

Watch her turn out to be a little Dora the Exployer....She was just taking in the flora and fauna of her neighborhood...She never knew it would cause such a fuss!!!! Poor little thing...Bet she's glad to be home...

On his own, Brookings man finds missing Zoey Dorsey alive, under brush

By Noelle Crombie, The Oregonian
March 19, 2010, 8:10PM



Robert Crump is not what you'd call an emotional guy.

But the lifelong Brookings resident admitted he was a bit overwhelmed Friday morning, just hours after he helped put a gloriously happy ending on the harrowing story of a missing 4-year-old girl.

"I'm hands-on, get-it-done, but looking back on it this morning, it's pretty emotional," said Crump, 47, who works heavy construction in the small Oregon coast town, just miles north of the California border.

His comments came about 12 hours after he had found Zoey Dorsey in the woods a couple of miles up the Chetco River from Brookings. She had been missing since 3 p.m. Wednesday, when she wandered away from her home.

Her mother, Brooke, had picked her up from school that day, according to the Daily Triplicate of Crescent City, Calif., and was walking from the family car into the house when she realized her daughter wasn't with her. Zoey's parents looked for her but couldn't find the child. They called 9-1-1.

Zoey is the same age as one of the Crumps' four grandchildren. And on Thursday, that's just how they thought of her.

"This is like our grandchild," Crump's wife, Peggy, told her husband as the couple started out on their search. "We have to do something."

So after work the Crumps headed to the search area, joining dozens of volunteers who had combed the rough Curry County terrain for hours. Searchers were aided by at least two helicopters and six canine teams from county and state agencies.

The Crumps pointed their pickup, hauling the couple's ATV, down some back roads near Zoey's house, then Crump hopped on the ATV and headed down a muddy logging road. He got off and started circling a canyon behind Zoey's home.

At one point, a search helicopter passed overhead, so he stopped until the beat of the rotors faded.

He wanted quiet so he could listen.

He waited. And then he heard something.

"I heard a funny yip noise, a yelp," Crump told The Oregonian Friday morning. "It definitely didn't sound natural."

He zeroed in on the faint sound. He circled the canyon, stepping through thick layers of brambles, briars and fallen limbs. He followed game trails. He listened again for the faint cry but heard nothing.

"Zoey!" Crump called out over and over. No response.

"I was pretty discouraged. I would stop and listen," he said. "I wasn't getting any more response. I started to turn around to go back up the hill."

It was edging toward night, and Crump stepped carefully, glancing down to make sure of his footing.

And there was Zoey, right at his feet.

"She was so buried and camouflaged under the stickers and salal," he said. "I was circling around these bushes. I was very close to her and didn't realize it.

"It startled me," he said. He thought, "This can't be true."

Crump called out the words searchers had longed to hear all day: "I found her!"

Crump's wife called back, "Oh, my God!" She ran to the truck of another volunteer searcher and longtime Brookings resident Donald Hodges. She honked Hodges' truck horn to get his attention. Hodges ran back, phoned 9-1-1 and asked for a helicopter.

Meanwhile, Crump gingerly pulled back the thick underbrush that had buried Zoey, careful not to scratch the girl.

Finally, he was able to get his arms around her and pull her out.

"I grabbed her arm and put it around my neck, and she latched on," he said. "She was really cold and stiff. I just held her in my arms."

He carried her out, half the time crawling on his hands and knees.

All the while, he talked to Zoey.

"We are going to make it, Zoey. We are headed home to Mama."

Zoey, who was weak and hypothermal, never said a word.

When they finally reached the road, Peggy Crump wrapped the girl in a hoodie and a thick hunting coat. The couple reassured Zoey that help was on the way. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hovered overhead, then lowered a basket.

The Crumps gently pried Zoey off Robert Crump and handed her to one of the rescuers. Zoey quickly nestled her head against the shoulder of the rescuer who placed her in the basket.

Just before he gave the pilot a thumbs-up, Crump had one last thing to say to Zoey: "You're going to be OK."

"And they flew off," Crump said.

Zoey was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City, then was transferred to OHSU Hospital in Portland, where she was listed in fair condition Friday.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/on_his_own_brookings_man_finds.html

This happy ending has left me teary-eyed. That little girl was found by a searcher in the nick of time. It sure is nice to read of a happy ending.

Ditto Cali..........it brought tears to my eyes as well.

Zoey returns home safe and sound

Written by Scott Graves
Pilot staff writer
March 24, 2010 11:05 am



After nearly dying of exposure in the Brookings wilderness, 4-year-old Zoey Dorsey returned home Monday from the hospital and wants to eat donuts and play her Wii video game player.

“She’s back home and I got to hug her and kiss her,” said Junnie Brown, Zoey’s grandmother. “She has lots of scratches and she’s a little more quiet than normal, but she’s getting stronger.”

Zoey, who wandered away from her home the afternoon of March 17 wearing only a T-shirt, pants and tennis shoes, was found at sunset the next day. She was suffering from hypothermia and rushed to Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City, and then transported to Oregon Health Sciences University as a precaution.

Brookings resident Mark Moore, working with Brown on behalf of Zoey’s parents, Brooke and Chris Dorsey, established a fund Tuesday at local banks where people can donate money to help pay for the family’s medical, travel and lodging expenses.

More important, Moore said, is to raise money to help improve the family’s overall living conditions.
“I’m just a concerned neighbor,” said Moore, who didn’t know the Dorsey family prior to the search for Zoey. “It appeared to me that they needed help before she disappeared. I think there might be a lot of people out there who might want to help.”

The family, which receives medical coverage through the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s state Medicaid program, is currently living in a recreation vehicle under a metal canopy, he said.

“Their housing is inadequate and I want to help make it a better living situation,” Moore said.

Contributions can be made to the Zoey Dorsey Fund at Chetco Federal Credit Union, U.S. Bank and Umpqua Bank. Those who want their donations to be tax deductible may provide proof of the deposit to Pastor Gordon Myrah at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1200 Easy St.


Revisiting the site

A few days after Brookings resident Robert Crump pulled missing 4-year-old Zoey Dorsey from a mountain ravine, the reality of what he had done was starting to sink in.

“I’ve been getting a lot of handshakes and hugs, and then it dawned on me: I got to do something that really mattered,” Crump said Tuesday.

Crump was one of more than 200 searchers scouring the densely forested terrain around Zoey’s family home at the top of Mountain Drive near Brookings. The girl’s disappearance triggered a massive search that included six helicopters and search crews from eight counties.

The next day, just before sunset, Crump found Zoey buried under thick brush in a ravine about a half mile from her home. She was scratched and suffering from hypothermia – another two or three hours and she might not have survived, officials said.

Crump, who crawled on his hands and knees at times to reach the girl, carried her back to a logging road where his wife, Peggy, and search partner Donald Hodges cared for Zoey until a U.S. Coast Guard transported her to a waiting ambulance.

The story of Zoey’s disappearance and her rescue captivated the community and drew attention from media as far away as Portland and Los Angeles. Many consider Crump a hero.

“Usually, I see this kind of stuff on TV. But now I’m the one in the spotlight,” said Crump, somewhat uncomfortable with the attention. “At the time I didn’t know what a big deal it was.”

On Saturday, Crump led Curry County Sheriff’s Deputy John Ward to the place he located Zoey.

“It’s amazing that I found her at all,” Crumb said on Tuesday. “It all happened so quick. I’m just glad that it all turned out well.”

Crump said he hopes to meet Zoey once she’s fully recovered and settled in. That may happen sooner than he thinks, according to family members.

“Zoey has asked about the man who found her,” Brown said Tuesday. “I’m sure we’ll all get together soon.”


Final review

On Thursday, Curry County Sheriff John Bishop will travel to Medford to meet with incident commanders from the other eight counties involved in the search for Zoey Dorsey.

“We’re going to review what we did well, and what we didn’t, and learn from it,” Bishop said.

Within hours of Zoey’s disappearance, Bishop had established a mobile command center at the family’s residence. The search effort included the county’s own 30-member search and rescue team, as well as those from Del Norte, Coos, Curry, Josephine, Jackson and Klamath counties. Air resources were provided by the Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon National Guard and Cal-Ore Life Flight.

In all, Bishop estimated there were 115 law enforcement and trained search personnel on hand, with more than 150 volunteers who registered with the sheriff’s office.

Bishop has not determined the exact cost of the search effort, but estimated it to be no more than $5,000 for Curry County, mostly for covering overtime for personnel.

“The State SAR fund will pay for the fuel for aircraft and each county will pay for its own search and rescue efforts,” Bishop said. “What also helps are the donations of food and hotel rooms by local businesses.”

http://www.currypilot.com/news/index.php?id=115000&task=view&option=com_content&Itemid=1

I'm a little late in commenting but I am crying too....Thank God!

I love posting stories with happy endings. I'm glad Crump was able to find her before it got dark that night.

Zoey gives her rescuer a big hug and thank you

Written by Scott Graves,
Pilot staff writer
March 27, 2010 06:00 am



The last time Brookings resident Robert Crump saw 4-year-old Zoey Dorsey she was huddled in a mountain ravine, hypothermic and unresponsive.

This time was different.

On Friday afternoon Crump went to see the little girl whose life he saved March 18. Zoey was full of energy and great big hugs for her rescuer.

“She looks good, she looks healthy,” Crump said.
The girl, wearing only a T-shirt, pants and tennis shoes, wandered away from her Mountain Drive home on March 17, triggering a massive search with six helicopters and hundreds of searchers that lasted more than 28 hours.

Zoey spent a night cold and alone in the woods a half mile from her home. As the sun was setting on Dorsey’s second day in the woods – and facing certain death that night – Zoey looked up from a tangle of heavy brush to see a man she’d never met, and she’ll never forget.

Crump arrived at Dorsey’s grandparent’s Brookings home around 2 p.m. Friday and saw Zoey for the first time since he carried her out out of the ravine and stayed with her until a helicopter whisked her to a waiting ambulance.

Out of gratitude, Zoey gave Crump a hand-made card covered with stickers and glowing, hand-written comments. Crump was moved, as was everyone there, including his wife Peggy and Zoey’s parents Brooke and Chris.

~~~

In the wake of Zoey’s ordeal, Brookings resident Mark Moore has established an account at three local banks where people can donate money to help the family pay for expenses.

“Portions of the proceeds are expected to go towards medical related expenses, including travel and lodging expenses incurred by the family during Zoey’s approximate four-day stay at OHSU in Portland,” Moore said Friday.

“Also, the family home is in need of major repairs and some type of protective barrier or fence needs to be constructed to help keep the children safe,” he said.

“Until the Dorsey’s permanent home is ready, they are temporarily residing in their RV. Although their living arrangement is a bit crowded, it is currently adequate for the needs of the children,” he said.

Moore said when he first approached the family about starting a fund for their daughter they resisted.

“They told me that they were overjoyed just to have their daughter back, and were very thankful for the efforts of all involved in her recovery and didn’t want to take advantage of anybody,” he said.

“Those who aren’t able to donate financially could contribute by donating time or materials. Thanks to everyone that is helping with this worthy cause,” he said.

Contributions can be made to the Zoey Dorsey Fund at Chetco Federal Credit Union, U.S. Bank and Umpqua Bank. Those who want their donations to be tax deductible may provide proof of the deposit to Pastor Gordon Myrah at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1200 Easy St.

http://www.currypilot.com/news/index.php?id=115024&task=view&option=com_content&Itemid=1

Not your ordinary week for county sheriff: Zoey's search, Caughey's release cap Bishop's week

Published: April 1, 2010
By Joel Summer




Sheriff John Bishop readily admits he's a spiritual guy, so searching for – and finding – Zoey Dorsey right before dark in deep brush in a remote part of the county, hit Bishop right in the heart.

"Now, that's a miracle. There was divine intervention that evening. We all have a spot in our hearts for kids," said Bishop as his voice trailed off and his eyes moistened. "Searching for Zoey was pretty rough on me. People know I'm an emotional kind of guy."

It was also tremendous police and search and rescue work; both delicate and complex.

"For the last few years I have spent a lot of time cultivating friendships and it proved time well spent," said Bishop.

Within 15 minutes of receiving the telephone call at 3:08 p.m. on March 17, Dan Brattain from Cal-Ore Life Flight was up in a helicopter. Brattain was joined by three helicopters from Jackson County Search & Rescue, three more helicopters with heat-seeking flares from the U.S. Coast Guard, and another helicopter from the Oregon Air National Guard.

There were law enforcement and search and rescue teams from Coos, Del Norte, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties with teams from Linn, Benton, Lane, Tillamook, and Washington counties ready to come in and spell the teams on the ground if the search had continued longer.

"I know many volunteers were upset because they couldn't get to us," said Bishop. "But it's not that simple. The laws we have to follow are quite complex."

Bishop said that in addition to coordinating a search and rescue operation, he also had to begin the process of a criminal investigation. No one knew for sure if Zoey Dorsey was just lost or had been a victim of a kidnapping or a sexual assault. While Bishop has been in law enforcement in Brookings for quite some time and knew just about everyone, Zoey and her parents were complete strangers to Bishop, although he did know many of the relatives. So at the same time Bishop was trying to give the Dorseys comfort, he also had to look at them, their home, and the surroundings as possible crime suspects and a crime scene, which, needless to say, was hugely difficult under the circumstances.

"My tendency was that I wanted to call out anybody and everybody and get everybody rolling," said Bishop. "But I couldn't have civilians traipsing through what was also a crime scene, contaminating evidence. If it had turned out to be a crime, we would want the opportunity to prosecute the people who did it. I also couldn't have volunteers who were wearing sandals or who were out of shape searching for Zoey. The law is that if volunteers go out on our watch and they get hurt or lost or have a heart attack, we are responsible."

Debriefing and critique

Last week Bishop and his immediate team met with some 40 other law enforcement members from the other counties who participated in the search and rescue at a meeting in Medford. There would be things Bishop would have done differently if it had to be done again. However, Bishop emphasized that it was a completely successful search and rescue.

Bishop said he would have had more incident command people present, and he wouldn't have set up incident command so close to the Dorsey's home. Having the incident command at the end of the road made it difficult to process search volunteers. Bishop said more than 200 volunteers participated, but it was tough getting them all through, and others gave up and either went home or out on their own searches. At one time a potential volunteer's car caught on fire.

The fellow who found Zoey, Robert Crump, told Bishop that he had tried – and failed – to make his way to the incident command center. Many others said the same thing. Crump, his wife, and friend, just decided to take off on their own search going in a direction they felt hadn't been adequately searched.

Bishop also said in retrospect he would have tried to use more loggers because they knew the back country very well. He said he was acquainted with Crump for many years and thought that Crump knew the back country. Had he known Crump was looking to help, Bishop said he would have provided a way to get Crump to the command center.

One of the reasons Bishop would have set up the command center in a location further away from the family would be out of respect for the family.

"We'd have a couple of search and rescue people come back. One might be nearby eating a Twinkie, refueling, and laughing. Laughing relieves stress, but the family might look at them and wonder ‘what's so funny,'" said Bishop.

Moving command center

Bishop also said having a command center in a remote area where cell phone reception is poor is problematic, although having the new communications vehicle helped immensely because it created a mini ‘hot spot'. Still, downloading Google maps and ‘plotter' big maps was slower because the Internet signal was weak. Bishop said in retrospect he would have brought a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the mobile command center. Bishop's communications deputies had to monitor radio frequencies, military frequencies, and air frequencies.

Bishop thanked Brookings Police Chief Chris Wallace and Gold Beach Police Chief P.J. Janik for backfilling and responding to local calls that the Sheriff's Department couldn't get to.

Another thing Bishop had to do was respond to the media. At first it was just local news media, but as the search went on more and more television stations from the Rogue Valley, the Willamette Valley, and northern California came to Brookings and were setting up their towers. The television news people all wanted to interview Bishop, and as the search wore on, were starting to ask Bishop questions that were tough to deal with, like what would happen if they couldn't find Zoey Dorsey.

Gary Caughey

It wasn't like Bishop wasn't having a tough enough week before Zoey Dorsey became lost. Gary Caughey was being released from prison to return to Curry County on Friday, March 19, "much to my chagrin," said Bishop.

At the moment, Caughey is living in Brookings although he has looked in Gold Beach, said Bishop. Bishop cannot be any more specific than that about Caughey's address.

"Caughey has paid his debt to society. He will have some heavy probationary restrictions, but other than that my hands are tied," said Bishop. "I believe the predatory sexual offender law was written for a guy like him, but the state says he is not predatory."

Bishop said some people have befriended Caughey, which Bishop said is good.

The Parole and Probation officer assigned to Caughey is none other than Bishop's wife, Kris. She meets with Caughey twice a week and always goes with Deputy Dave Gardiner. Bishop said his wife is well trained and can handle herself just fine.

"I don't feel sorry for Caughey. He's repeatedly done it (kidnap and rape). We have others charged for such crimes such as 19-year-olds having consensual sex with 16-year-olds. That's not what Caughey did. I have no patience for that kind of behavior," said Bishop.

Sheriff's budget

On top of everything else, Bishop is going through budget hearings. Bishop said he has been asked to cut his budget by 10 percent, but he already feels he is at a ‘bare-bones' budget and all he could possibly cut is supplies and equipment. Bishop said he has already cut everything else he can possibly cut.

http://www.currycountyreporter.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=5797

I'm another one that's late on this - but I'm sitting here bawling, thanking God that she was found alive!!
I hope her parents will accept the help they've been offered - I wouldn't think of it as them taking advantage of ppl who willingly want to help them out.