The body of a photographer who vanished along the Oregon coast three weeks ago has been found, authorities said Sunday.
Joseph Neill was discovered by workers at Clausen Oysters farm after they contacted authorities before 9:30 a.m. regarding a potential deceased person found in Haynes Inlet as the tide was receding, as per the Coos County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputies retrieved the body, which was later confirmed to be Neill. The tide had carried Neill approximately 1.5 miles inland from a railroad bridge over the Coos Bay at Jordan Point, where his belongings were initially located on Dec. 15. Neill had set out from home on that day to photograph the king tides at Horsefall Beach but never returned.
A Facebook page dedicated to finding Neill called “JoeStrong” posted that he was “pushed far inland because of the high tides when he fell.”
The family’s store, The Electric Hospital, was closed on Monday “as a day of mourning for our beloved Dr. Joe,” according to the family’s post.
A post mentioned, “Please show kindness to our staff, who considered him part of their family. They will be back in business on Tuesday, following our father’s example. Feel free to visit and mention his name. He is always in our thoughts, so acknowledging his memory means a lot to us.”
The family added: “Take Monday to go on an adventure with someone you love, appreciate Creation, and honor him.”
