Missing man found in Cottage Grove

Sarah Brown

A Colorado man reported missing last week while visiting relatives in the Sweet Home area was found safe Thursday, April 21, in Cottage Grove. 

William Tyrrell was initially reported missing Sunday, April 17, by his wife, Terri, as they, along with his brother and sister-in-law, visited family in the 4100 block of Marks Ridge Drive.

According to his cousin, Eric Steadman, the trio planned to travel to Eugene that Thursday (April 14), but Tyrrell opted to stay the night with Steadman and get a ride to that city the following day. (Attempts to contact direct family members were unsuccessful.)

According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified witness reported seeing Tyrrell taking a walk Friday morning along Marks Ridge Drive near a gravel pit about two miles from the house. Another cousin, Nicole Jackson, said several people searched for him but expected him to return soon, maybe within a day.

“He has a history of just up and splitting and going into the woods,” Steadman said. “The longest he’s been out there is, like, 30 hours, and he came back.”

When he hadn’t returned by Sunday morning, Terri contacted the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. The agency stated in a Wednesday, April 20, news release that deputies responded immediately, talking to people and searching the area.

According to Steadman, officers issued an all-points bulletin for the missing man and drove up the gravel road where he was last reportedly seen but did not perform a search-and-rescue.

“They told me they weren’t going to do anything about it because they didn’t have anything to really go on, and it had been two days or so,” he said. “They said it’s been too long.”

Reached for comment, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office directed inquiries to its news releases regarding the case. An email sent to Sheriff Michelle Duncan did not elicit a response before The New Era went to press.

When posts regarding the missing man began appearing on social media, the community offered to provide their own dogs and drones for a search. The Sheriff’s Office continued efforts Tuesday and Wednesday with people searching on foot, in vehicles, with a K9 and the use of drones.

On Thursday, April 21, following rumors that Tyrrell had been found, the Sheriff’s Office reported that Cottage Grove Police Department confirmed his presence in its city.

An investigation revealed that he had wandered from Marks Ridge Drive and walked to Lebanon. From there, a good Samaritan gave Tyrrell bus fare to the Eugene area where he then walked to Junction City. A second Samaritan drove him to his family’s house in Cottage Grove.

Total
0
Share