A family in Oregon is mourning the loss of a father who was found de*ad in the Mount Hood National Forest.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office reported they found the body of 33-year-old James Macdonald on Friday following an extensive search near the Paradise Park Trail.
At about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Macdonald’s family reported that he had not yet come back from what was supposed to be a day hike.
He was last heard from around 2 p.m. Wednesday, when he called his wife.
“I know he FaceTimed her when he got there and said, ‘I’m here, it‘s beautiful,’” Ben Seeley, Macdonald’s brother-in-law, said. “He even said, talking to my sister, ‘I’m surprised how much snow is up here in Mount Hood in November.’”
Macdonald was known to be an experienced hiker but was not carrying gear for overnight conditions.
Clackamas County Search and Rescue coordinators mobilized volunteer teams to search for him Wednesday. They found what appeared to be tracks in the snow, which prompted an extensive area search.
Multiple agencies and resources joined the search efforts, including air support. The search continued until Macdonald’s body was found at about 10:30 a.m. Friday.
“He was unprepared, I think for staying overnight in any cold conditions and just got lost and passed away, from my understanding, from exposure, not being prepared for some of the cold nights,” Seeley said.
Seeley said Macdonald was at the end of his residency in radiology at Oregon Health & Science University. He was a devoted husband and a family man, leaving behind four kids, including 1-year-old twins.
“He would take his two older sons hiking with him, they loved being outside,” Seeley said. “Really committed to his family and his kids and being there for them.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support Macdonald’s family.
