JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ore. -- Jefferson County Sheriff's Office will be conducting a recovery effort for a male climber's body.

Officials were called out Saturday, July 25, to the east side of Mount Jefferson after a group of experienced climbers called saying one of them fell.

David Freepons, 65, from Kennewick, Washington, was found dead several hundred feet downhill. Deputies say that Freepons has had decades of experience and was unable to stop his descent.

Due to hazardous conditions, distance, and the inability to safely move Freepons to a Life Flight location, they returned to the airport. Family members have been notified and told that a multi-agency recovery mission is being planned for this week.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office would like to remind everyone to use extreme caution when outdoors and to possibly postpone plans that could risk your life as resources are limited.

If you have any questions regarding the location on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, please contact Police Chief William Elliott at 541-553-1002 or via email William.elliott@wstribes.org.