Account
Jul 30, 2020
Jun 14, 2022
Ian
Spalding
21
17
72 inches
196 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
On a spring evening in Charleston, Oregon, what began as a walk among friends turned into a tragedy. On May 31, 2020, 17-year-old Ian Spalding was with a group of friends near the scenic and rugged cliffs of Cape Arago State Park. The group was walking along a path when Ian reportedly slipped and fell from a cliff's edge into the turbulent waters of the Pacific Ocean below. The area, known for its dramatic beauty, also holds significant dangers, with steep drop-offs and powerful ocean currents. His friends immediately called for help, setting in motion a large-scale search and rescue operation in a desperate attempt to find the teenager. The response to the incident was swift and extensive, involving multiple agencies who converged on the scene. The Coos County Sheriff's Office led the effort, deploying marine patrols to search the waters near where Ian was last seen. They were joined by the U.S. Coast Guard, which dispatched a helicopter crew from North Bend and a motor lifeboat from Coos Bay to scan the ocean from both the air and the surface. Ground crews, including personnel from the Charleston Fire Department and the Oregon State Police, scoured the coastline and surrounding areas. For hours, these dedicated teams battled challenging conditions, hoping to locate the missing 17-year-old. Despite the immediate and thorough search efforts by land, sea, and air, crews were unable to find Ian Spalding. The search was eventually suspended after exhaustive attempts yielded no sign of the young man. The community was left to grapple with the sudden and heartbreaking event. The case remains a painful memory of a young life lost to the powerful and unforgiving nature of the Oregon coast. The official circumstances of his disappearance are recorded as an accidental fall from a cliff into the ocean while he was enjoying an outing with his friends.
May 31, 2020
Charleston
Oregon
Coos County
97420
No
90036
Coos County Sheriff's Office
Coquille
Oregon
Coos County
97423
Jason Patterson
Captain
250 North Baxter Street, Oregon
5413967800
County
Law Enforcement
S20-12944
2020-05-31
Coos County Sheriff's Office
7394
Brown
Brown
Brown
05/30/2026
