A boater is missing after a small boat capsized at Hills Creek Reservoir, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office was notified about the missing boater at about 8 p.m. Friday, May 22. Two people were in a small boat when it capsized, the sheriff’s office said in a press release Saturday. 

The other person made it to the shore. 

Lane County Sheriff’s staff and volunteers began searching with the office’s Marine Patrol and Dive Team. Oregon State Troopers brought a boat to help in the search. 

The search remains active and Klamath County Sheriff Search and rescue teams are also assisting as of Saturday afternoon. 

Officials declined to release the identity of the missing person pending notification of family. 

Located 45 miles southeast of Eugene and about four miles from Oakridge, the Hills Creek Reservoir was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1961. The lake, when filled to capacity, is 2,735-acres with 44 acres of shoreline, making it a popular recreational spot. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone to safely recreate in the water and always wear a lifejacket.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.