Body Of Missing Skier Found

By Holly Zuluaga

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A tragic end to the search for a Walla Walla Middle Schooler who got lost while skiing. Rescuers found Nathan Cain's body Monday, a couple miles off a trail near Elgin, OR.

Story Published: Mar 1, 2010 at 6:41 PM PST

WALLA WALLA--A tragic end to the search for a Walla Walla Middle Schooler who got lost while skiing.

Rescuers found Nathan Cain's body Monday, a couple miles off a trail near Elgin, OR.

Since the first report he was missing, dozens of searchers combed these mountains by land and in the sky searching for 13 year old Nathan Cain.

"I've been snow mobiling up here for 30 years," Dana Dibble said.

Dana Dibble isn't a first responder.

He just heard about it and wanted to help.

It was at the Andies Prairie Snow-park where Nathan was cross-country skiing with his dad and friends.

They were just planning to do a loop, but somehow Nathan got separated from the group and may have been trying to find his dad.

Searchers were hopeful at first, despite knowing temperatures dipped into the teens overnight.

Family and friends waited patiently for answers.

"He's out there somewhere and we'll find him," Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen with the Union County Sheriff's Department said.

But then a group found him.

"It's with great sadness that we have to report that we have located the body of Nathan Cain, 13 years of age," Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen said.

Nathan was in a gully, a couple miles off the trail, and outside the original search area.

In the harsh conditions, investigators think he probably didn't survive that first night.

"Clearly it's a difficult circumstance. It’s hard on me. It’s hard on my people. I have a child myself so I have that connection. For me personally, it's tough and I'm sure it is for the guys in the field. We try to wear our badge, but we are people too," Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen said.

The Union County Sheriff told Action News he has never been involved in a search this large and with such a tragic end.

Nathan was only wearing a light jacket and jeans, not expecting to spend the night in the elements.

He was a student at Rogers Adventist in College Place.