Oregon Troopers and Dispatch Supervisor Receive Lifesaving Award

(SALEM, Ore.) - Two Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division Troopers and a dispatch center supervisor received the "Harold R. Berg Lifesaving Award" for their efforts in helping find a 38-year old Florence-area woman missing for 7 1/2 hours in April after leaving work and driving off an area road to where it came to rest in heavy brush.

Using cell phone triangulation information, the dispatch supervisor help lead the troopers to a general area where they found the injured woman who also was suffering diabetes-related complications.

On Tuesday, October 9th, the rescued woman's family members joined Oregon State Police Superintendent Tim McLain and other department members for the presentation.

"It was wonderful what the State Police was able to do for us in the search for my wife", said the woman's husband, Dennis Pease, who worked hard to try and find his wife during the time she was missing.

On April 7th 2007 at approximately 1:00 AM, 38-year old Debra Pease, reportedly was not feeling well and left her job at Three Rivers Casino east of Florence to drive to her home north of town.

After failing to arrive home, her husband drove area roads she may have driven to try and find her and their green 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. He also continuously called her cell phone trying to reach her.

Trooper Lea, Superintendent McLain, and Senior Trooper Salisbury

At approximately 3:00 AM, her husband contacted Oregon State Police and Lane County Sheriff's Office to report his wife missing. An attempt to locate bulletin was sent out to law enforcement agencies for special attention to the coast and Coast Range.

At approximately 4:00 AM the couple's cell phone carrier, Verizon Wireless, was contacted to see if they could assist with helping narrow down the area where she may be based upon any cell phone activity. Verizon told police that there was no cell phone activity during the last eight hours.

Following numerous calls made by her husband during the night, she finally called him back at 7:40 AM, disoriented but advising she was trapped in her pickup off an unknown road. While keeping her on the phone, her husband notified Oregon State Police Northern Command Center Supervisor Phil Willoughby of this development who in turn re-contacted Verizon. Using the cell phone call activity they were able to narrow the call to an estimated three-mile area south to southeast of Florence.

Lane County Sheriff's Office, working with OSP, began to organize search and rescue personnel. During this time, OSP Trooper Lowell Lea and Senior Trooper Scott Salisbury were checking Highway 101 and connecting roads south of Florence.

At 8:38 AM, Trooper Lea found signs indicating a vehicle may have driven off the east side of Highway 101 near milepost 191 south of Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.

Upon checking that location, Trooper Lea saw the pickup on its driver's side in heavy brush about 75 feet down an embankment.

Senior Trooper Salisbury responded and both troopers worked their way through the brush and found Debra Pease conscious inside the pickup. Initial first aid care was provided until Siuslaw Fire Department and Western Lane Ambulance personnel arrived.

Dispatch Supervisor Willoughby

Debra Pease was removed from the pickup through the windshield and brought back to the highway. Western Lane Ambulance transported her to Peace Harbor Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

Trooper Lea, age 28, is a 7-year OSP veteran, and Senior Trooper Salisbury, age 39, is an 18-year OSP veteran. Both are assigned in the OSP Fish & Wildlife Division at the Florence work site.

Dispatch Supervisor Willoughby, age 68, has been with OSP for 13 years and works out of the OSP Northern Command Center in Salem. His lifesaving award was presented to him on an earlier date.

"This was truly a team effort involving the cellular industry, dispatch services, and local police and emergency responders," said OSP Superintendent Timothy McLain.

The "Harold R. Berg Lifesaving Award" is named after Lieutenant Harold R. Berg who died on May 10th 1975. Lieutenant Berg, while off duty, was contacted by a citizen who informed him that a boy scout was missing at Cape Lookout State Park. While attempting to search a cave near the water's edge, he was washed out to sea.

The award is given to State Police employees who distinguish themselves by performing or reacting to a situation in a positive and professional manner which saves, or reduces the risk of loss of life of another person; and, where a strong possibility existed that if such action wasn't taken, loss of life or serious injury would have resulted.