Officials continue to scour Siletz River in search of missing 2-year-old

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The search continues for Dane Paulsen, a 2-year-old boy who went missing from his backyard in Siletz, Ore. one week ago.

Mysteries continue to swirl around the boy’s disappearance as Lincoln County deputies shifted their search efforts to the Siletz River on Tuesday, after evidence indicated he may have been at the river’s edge before he went missing.

As a result, officials said they are “running [daily] methodical searches over long spans,” with a boat covering a 14-mile stretch of the Siletz River on Friday.

Additionally, they say these daily water searches with boats equipped with sonar and underwater drones will continue “until further notice.”

Many community members are also using their own personal boats to aid in the search, covering the lower Siletz River.

Dane was first reported missing to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, March 1 around 4:30 p.m. after vanishing from his home near milepost 21 on the Siletz River Highway.

Officials say that day, he was wearing a grey fuzzy hoodie with ears, black pants, and blue and white shoes. Law enforcement later updated his description to include that he has brown hair and green eyes.

Officials immediately began searching the family’s residence and surrounding areas.

Shortly after Dane’s disappearance, a gold 1990s station wagon was named as a vehicle of interest by law enforcement. On March 2, community tips led authorities to the owner of the vehicle, who was found to be unrelated to the disappearance.

Search efforts continued among community volunteers and local authorities, including the sheriff’s offices from Lane, Clackamas and Polk counties; Oregon State Police; Lincoln City and Newport police; Siletz Valley Fire; Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit; Mary’s Peak SAR; and Region 3 K9.

As search efforts intensified, law enforcement said there was “no evidence to suggest criminal actions are involved.”

Anyone with information or a tip is asked to call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 541-265-0669