Rescue Teams Airlift see the lost climbers from the waterfall
Ryan Wardwell, 46, who had planned to pull up on a waterfall near the Caan River, was rescued after being reported missing for two days.
It’s been 19 years since 8-year-old Samuel Bourke discovered the forests of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, but search and rescuers have not given up on their search for him.
Agents in Oregon and California are hoping to be able to blow fans off on the giant lake trails, Hillssides and forests over the weekend, helping to bring closure to Sam’s sadistic family. Over and over the years, they found no clue.
Sam was last seen on October 14, 2006 when he hiked with his father. His father, Kenneth Boulke, told investigators that Sam was suddenly rushed into the woods, and eventually the snowstorm caused a massive rescue effort as the day’s snowstorm.
Boehlke, which reached by USA Today on Wednesday, September 24th, said he is grateful that authorities have not forgotten his only child.
“We’ll be able to let him rest whatever they can to find something related to him,” he said. “We still wonder what happened.”
Sam’s mother, Kirsten Becker, told USA Today that he has been in touch with many former rescuers over the years and runs the agency that is doing the search for today.
“They are absolutely shining humans and blessings to this world,” she said, adding that her son’s loss of disappearance is more than just a search operation for the men and women looking for him.
“It should have been easy and we could have found him. It’s frustrating for them,” she said. “It’s an innocent boy, a boy who was autistic… I think it’s what bothers them.”
Here are other things you need to know about the incident:
More about Sam Beerke’s Lost Disappear
Kenneth Baulke and his son were staying in the area of Lake Diamond on October 14, 2006, and were hiking all day to Crater Lake, he told investigators at the time. At one point, Borke said that Sam ran into the woods on the hill and the boy had not responded to his increasingly desperate call, he said.
“He was pretty fearless,” Balke told USA Today. “I think the FBI did too.
Becker detailed what happened that day, explaining that his son is obsessed with finding “gold” or yellow Pumis stones at Crater Lake. And when it was time to leave, he wanted to continue searching for the stone.
Sam ran off and expanded the slope of Pumis, which Becker said was similar to running the dunes on meatball-sized rock. This terrain made it difficult for Borke to catch up with Sam.
“I know my son, I know he decided to run away and hide somewhere, and Ken probably just passed him,” she said. “Sam probably tried to go back double, but he got lost.”
Unable to find his son, Bork flagged the car that day for assistance and rescue efforts.
More details on the search effort to find Sam Boehlke
A search for Sam Beerke created a national headline in 2006 as helicopters, dogs and rescuers flocculated the area in search of him.
A disaster occurred on the first day of the search as a snowstorm struck the area and hampered rescue operations, including the ability to assist in the search until the weather settled two days later.
Three nights after Sam went missing, rescuers told reporters that, according to an archived story by the Associated Press, they thought the boy was still alive despite the sub-freezing temperature and about seven inches of snow on the ground. He wore cargo pants, a long sleeve T-shirt and a winter jacket.
Rescuers told the Associated Press that they were watching in small hiding places under rocks and logs in case the boy attempts to evacuate during the storm. “We hope he might be in that place. He may have been evacuated for several days,” National Park Service spokesman Rudy Ivanson told the Associated Press at the time, adding that it is unlikely that the boy had fallen into the lake due to the obstacles on the slope that stopped the descent.
A few days later, they still couldn’t find any traces of him.
Park chief ranger David Brennan told reporters “There is absolutely no indication of foul play or criminal activity.”
Over the years, rescuers have returned to the area to find signs of Sam. They also receive much needed training on steep, rugged terrain.
Among the crew searched at the lake over the weekend was the Sisky County Sheriff’s Office in Northern California. The agency posted on Facebook on Wednesday about their efforts.
“We are proud of our search and rescue volunteers for the dedication and hard work they demonstrate during the emergency rescue efforts and the missing person incidents decades ago,” Post said. “In many cases, searches for these evidence could lead to families closing in a few years, and our SAR team is determined to continue supporting our Oregon counterparts on their mission to find Sammy.”
Becker said she was very grateful for their efforts.
“He died there. I know that,” she said. “You’re always hoping for evidence. You love coming up with different ideas about where they’re going back and where to look, but I might think they might not know they’ll find a piece of Sam.”
She also knows that her ex-husband, Bork, did everything he could that day.
“He was absolutely devastated by this,” she said. “I don’t blame him at all. He loved his son.”
Ray of hope
Sam’s parents were unable to save him that day in Crater Lake, but Becker said he came up with a way to help other children with autism two years after his loss of failure.
She created a group called Autism Anchor Dogs. This paired 38 children with primarily Newfoundland dogs and children with autistic children.
“I needed a purpose after Sam,” she said. She added that she came across research showing that animals can benefit children with autism. “They can hold anchor positions where the kids don’t elop (run away). We had a 100% success rate. None of these kids were dead, and no one fled to fled while using their dogs.”
She added: “I may have lost my son, but I saved 38 other children.”
Crater Lake details
Crater Lake is the only national park in Oregon. Located in southern Oregon, about 100 miles southwest of Bend, it is the deepest lake in the United States and the deepest lake in the world, about 2,000 feet.
It has long been fascinated by both scientists and amateurs, both in the way it was formed and the way it exists to this day.
Almost 8,000 years ago, a volcano known as Mount Mazama collapsed after an eruption, causing massive depression that allowed the lake to form, according to the National Park Service.
The river, which is made up entirely of snow and rain, with 5 trillion gallons of water, does not connect to the lake.
Crater Lake saw just over 500,000 visitors in 2024. This has been partially reduced due to the remoteness of the park. This saw 1.6 million and 4.1 million visitors in 2024, respectively, compared to busy parks in neighboring states such as Mount Rainier, Washington, and Yosemite, California, according to federal statistics.
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter at USA Today. Follow her on x at @amandaleusat.
