TILLAMOOK, Ore. – The bodies of two campers missing at a Tillamook campground were found Friday night, officials said.
Justin Norton, 35, and Nicholas Santangelo, 53, left their campsite at the Cedar Creek Campground late Monday night to look for some pets that had vanished. They were supposed to return a few hours later.
When they failed to do so, a girlfriend called for help. Authorities were on the ground by early Tuesday afternoon, searching for the men and their blue 1998 Ford Explorer.
On Friday, search efforts expanded to include four agencies and helicopters from the Army National Guard.
Around 8:15 p.m., searchers found the bodies of Norton and Santangelo in the Tillamook State Forest off State Highway 6, according to Andy Long, Sheriff of Tillamook County.
The SUV they were driving had rolled several hundred feet down a steep hillside and both men were ejected, Long said. The vehicle landed in a heavily wooded area, making it extremely difficult to spot.
The bodies were recovered Saturday morning and an investigation into the crash was under way.
