Officials: Search for missing Analy High School grad Riley Zickel to continue

Officials searching for a missing Analy High School graduate missing in the Oregon wilderness for six days said they are still actively searching and have no plans to stop.

Leads from the public about Riley Zickel’s whereabouts diminished significantly Tuesday and continued to decline Wednesday, said Lt. Chris Baldridge with the Sheriff’s Office in Marion County, Oregon.

Searchers have been combing the Willamette National Forest for the 21-year-old for four days.

“We’re still actively searching,” he said. “There could potentially come a time when we have to ask ourselves that question. It’s not one that’s taken lightly. ... We’re certainly not there yet.”

The decision to halt the search would have to start at the executive level, he said, with the sheriff. After that would come a meeting involving Zickel’s family.

Zickel, who is a chemistry major at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, drove to the forest near Mount Jefferson to backpack a week ago. He told a friend in Seattle he would meet him there last Friday afternoon, but never showed up.

His parents, Robin Zickel and Erin Riley, filed a missing persons report Saturday.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com.