A volunteer diver has found the body of the 2-year-old Siletz boy who went missing while playing in his front yard 10 days ago, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
Dane Paulsen went missing March 1, launching a massive search effort that covered hundreds of acres of rural and forested land surrounding the family’s property just north of Siletz. The search eventually focused on the Siletz River, after the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office concluded the boy had most likely been at the river’s edge before he disappeared.
California scuba diver Juan Heredia joined the search this week. Heredia has been credited in the past with helping find the bodies of people who went missing, including last year.
Heredia found the boy’s body around 11:13 a.m., about 3 miles downstream of the boy’s home, the sheriff’s office said.
“Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow,” Sheriff Adam Shanks said in a written 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.”
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
