Search and rescue leads to recovery of remains of Rachel Merchant-Ly

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office with the help of volunteers have discovered the body of Rachel Merchant-Ly, a 27-year-old woman who went missing Feb. 29 after she didn’t show up for work as a kindergarten teacher at Glide Elementary School.

On Feb. 29, deputies located signs of a motor vehicle crash near milepost 41 on Highway 138E. On March 1, Merchant-Ly’s vehicle was recovered from the North Umpqua River but she was not found inside.

Searchers with Lane, Douglas, and Jackson County Search and Rescue Teams have conducted numerous searches by water, land, and air without success of finding Merchant-Ly. State organizations and community members also volunteered their time to search efforts.

On Friday, Search and Rescue teams organized to conduct further searching along the river in coordination with volunteer rafting groups.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., a community member volunteer located a dead body in the river approximately 7.5 miles downstream from the initial crash site.

Deputies confirmed the presence of the body and began coordinating recovery efforts. The Douglas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the body to be Merchant-Ly’s, according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Commissioner Freeman and I have been in personal communication with Rachel’s husband, mother, father and extended family,” said Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin. “They are extremely thankful for the efforts of everyone involved.”

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at [email protected].