SILETZ, Ore. (KATU) — Dane Paulsen, who has been missing since March 1, was found dead in the Siletz River, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
After an extensive 11-day search, Dane’s body was found Tuesday shortly after 11 a.m. in the Siletz River, approximately 3 miles downstream from the family’s property.
He was found by a volunteer diver, Juan Heredia, who is with Angels Recovery Dive Team. He offered his services to Dane’s family.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is working in partnership with the Lincoln County Medical Examiners Office. “As is standard with ongoing investigations, additional details are not available at this time,” a statement said.
KATU reporter Shelby Slaughter is covering this story and is on her way to Siletz to learn more details and interview Heredia.
Heredia told KATU he drove up from Stockton, Calif. to volunteer in the search.
“Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow,” said Sheriff Adam Shanks in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances.”
“We understand that this news is incredibly painful, especially for Dane’s family and those who knew him. Dane’s family has been notified. Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this profoundly difficult time, we ask the public and media to respect their need for space and time to grieve.”
TIMELINE OF DANE’S DISAPPEARANCE
Two-year-old Dane Paulsen went missing on March 1, 2025. He was last seen playing in his house’s yard.
“Based on the information available at this time, the only information our investigators have is a vehicle of interest (no license plate or further information) seen in the area prior to the child’s disappearance, however, there is no link showing this vehicle is directly involved in the disappearance of Dane Paulsen,” said Sheriff Shanks on March 2 in answer to an inquiry regarding why an Amber Alert has not been issued, so far.
“We’re just going shoulder to shoulder and covering areas in that way. Same spots we covered yesterday, but more thoroughly,” Jeff Lawrence with the area Elks Lodge said of the search on March 3.
The Lincoln County Major Crime Team and the FBI were assisting with investigative leads, although there was no evidence to suggest criminal actions are involved. Resources for the family were being provided by the FBI’s Victim Services Division.
Emergency responders launched boats to look along the Siletz River Sunday morning, and dive crews started searching March 3.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office last held a press conference on the search on March 4, saying they were highlighting the Siletz River for their search efforts.
“So far the evidence available indicates Dane was at the river’s edge before his disappearance. Because of this we will be focusing the majority of our ongoing resources on searching the Siletz River,” said Sergeant Jason Spano with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in that press conference.
“Though the land within the search area has been thoroughly combed, we cannot guarantee the areas are clear. Even with specialized equipment and search K9s, it is possible to miss a small child that may be hidden by thick brush or other visual impairments,” the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on March 5.
The water temperature was reported to be 44 to 46 degrees, according to the spokesperson.
If the sheriff’s office holds another press conference Tuesday, KATU will bring the updates live on katu.com and on our YouTube page.
Hundreds of community volunteers helped search. The search consisted of drones equipped with cameras, thermal imaging, tracking canines, watercraft, and human behavior tracking resources.
The search operations also included methodical boat searches over long stretches of the river, with one boat covering approximately 14 miles of the river on March 7.
This is a BREAKING NEWS story. Check back with KATU for updates.
