FALL CREEK, Ore. — UPDATE (1:05 p.m.) -- The Lane County Sheriff's Office said Sharon, Gregory and Zelda were all found safe Wednesday in the Quartz Creek area. They are looking forward to being reunited with their family.
Original story below.
A Eugene couple and their 4-year-old granddaughter are missing after they headed out Monday to find a Christmas tree in the Willamette National Forest, according to the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
Search and rescue teams worked through the night Tuesday to find 61-year-old Sharon Poitra, 63-year-old Gregory Poitra and 4-year-old Zelda Sudhoff-Clements, who were in a white 2007 Toyota Matrix with Oregon license plate 502 CWD.
A new team headed out just after 9 a.m. Wednesday with air support from a drone team and the United States Coast Guard.
The three were reported missing to the Eugene Police Department on Tuesday when the girl's mother went to pick her up at her grandparents' house and there was no indication they had returned from their trip.
"She thought that this was going to be such a fun adventure going to cut a tree down and she was so excited," Zelda's mother, Jada Sudhoff told KEZI 9 News on Tuesday night.
She said she started to feel like something was wrong when she hadn't heard from her parents Monday evening. She found it odd, but decided to wait until Tuesday morning to reach out again.
"When both of them went to voicemail, I knew something was wrong, because my mom doesn't want her phone dead, she wants it charged."
She told KEZI she went to her parents house and nobody was there, and neighbors said they never returned home on Monday evening.
"I just can't imagine her being out there another night," Sudhoff said. "I know they can do whatever they can to keep her safe, my parents, but they have their own medical issues too. And I'm sure they're all really scared.
"If I get nothing for Christmas but for them to come home, that's all I want, I don't need anything except for my daughter and my parents."
Investigators say cell phone pings indicate the three may have traveled to the Fall Creek area.
Sharon Poitra was described as 165 lbs. with brown hair and green eyes, last seen wearing a tan coat and tan boots. Gregory Poitra is about 6-foot-1 and 190 lbs. with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a gray jacket and blue jeans.
Zelda Sudhoff-Clements has blonde hair and blue eyes, stands about 3 feet tall and weighs 30 lbs. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, gray pants, and boots with owls on them.
"We have had several requests from community members who are asking to join search teams," the sheriff's office said in a statement Wednesday morning. "At this time, search and rescue is not seeking additional community volunteers for this mission. All of the assignments this morning have been filled by volunteers trained to work together on rural organized searches. We appreciate the community's willingness to assist, and thank you for keeping this family in your thoughts as the search continues."
Anyone who has seen the missing people or the white Toyota Matrix is asked top call the sheriff's office at 541-682-4150, then press 1.
