CLACKAMAS, Ore. — The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office on April 1 identified a body found the day before as that of Russell Tiffany, 23, from Las Vegas.
Authorities were “sad to report” that the missing skier’s body was found submerged in a creek near Highway 26, west of the Ski Bowl Resort, at approximately 7:15 p.m. on March 31. The Sheriff’s Office Dive Team assisted with the recovery effort.
The Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting a death investigation with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office.
Searchers learned that a group of experienced skiers left the boundary of Ski Bowl’s west side on the night of March 30. The group gathered at a hut that is just outside the boundary. Investigators learned from a member of the group that alcohol was being consumed and Tiffany appeared intoxicated.
Tiffany, a ski and snowboard instructor, was last seen at approximately 9 p.m. near Mirror Lake. He decided to head down the mountain alone, but became disorientated when he left. He was in contact with a member of the group via cell phone but was still unable to find his way. The campers attempted to direct him to their location, but he never arrived.
“The subject was not prepared to stay overnight, to our knowledge, and had been equipped for skiing,” the Sheriff’s Office said during the search, which was conducted by Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, American Medical Response’s Reach and Treat (RAT) Team, and the Oregon National Guard.
Tiffany was one of two sons of Russell and Janice Yasuda-Tiffany of Las Vegas.