78-year-old reports falling in a hole, OR cops say. He’s still missing days later
UPDATE: The search for a missing man who vanished after saying he fell into a hole has been suspended, Oregon police say.
A family member reported Thomas Weightman missing Tuesday, Oct. 14, leading to a six-day search that involved about 800 people, the Forest Grove Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Police said they do not suspect foul play, adding that an investigation is ongoing.
The original story is below.
The search is on for a 78-year-old man who vanished after saying he fell into a hole, Oregon deputies say.
Forest Grove police officers got a report of a missing person shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 17 Facebook post.
Family told officers that Thomas Weightman left their home on foot hours earlier but hadn’t returned, deputies said.
“During a brief cellphone contact, Thomas said he fell into a hole and was unsure of his location,” the sheriff’s office said.
Given the remote area, deputies said they were unable to track Weightman’s location using cellphone triangulation.
Deputies said their search and rescue team has been looking for Weightman.
Additionally, drones have been used to scour the area, police commented on Facebook.
“We know there is a desire for the community to help with searching on foot,” police commented on Facebook on Friday, Oct 17. “Right now, Search and Rescue is asking property owners to search their properties, but are asking that community members avoid the area where they are working.”
In an Oct. 17 email to McClatchy News, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said the search and rescue team’s efforts to find Weightman are still ongoing, adding that there were no additional updates.
Weightman, who weighs 165 pounds, is described as standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall “with gray hair, gray beard, and glasses,” deputies said.
When Weightman left his home, deputies said he was “seen wearing black shoes, blue jeans, a red flannel (button)-up shirt, and a dark-colored baseball hat.”
Anyone who may have seen Weightman after 3:30 p.m. Oct. 14 is asked to contact deputies at 503-629-0111.
Forest Grove is about a 25-mile drive west from Portland.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 2:12 PM with the headline "78-year-old reports falling in a hole, OR cops say. He’s still missing days later."
