OR: One hunter deceased, another rescued at 8,000ft. in separate Grant County incidents

https://elkhornmediagroup.com/one-hunter-deceased-another-rescued-at-8000ft-in-separate-grant-county-incidents/

10/13/2025

On October 10th, two separate hunter related calls were reported to the Grant County Sheriffs Office.

The first was a reported hunter who was possibly deceased in the Parish Cabin area east of Seneca. Ambulance crews from Seneca and the Blue Mt. Hospital responded near 1030 am, along with Deputies from the Sheriffs Office.

Located east off of forest road 15, was Edwin Tasa, (57) of Toledo Oregon. Tasa had suffered what initially appears to have been a significant medical event, and collapsed while hiking up out of a steep draw. Tasa was recovered and transported out of the draw by Law Enforcement and was transferred to Driskills Mortuary staff.

Later that evening, near 7 pm, the Grant County Emergency Communication Center took a call from a hunter who had come upon another hunting party south of the Strawberry Mt. peak. Anthony Stacona (32) of Warm Springs, was suffering from an unknown medical issue, and unable to walk. He was located at the eight-thousand-foot level of the mountain and inclement weather was coming in. Eric Miller of John Day, the hunter that located Stacona, was able to make the calls to dispatch and communicate the needs. A warming fire was built as they waited for rescue. Were it not for Miller locating them, this incident could have turned tragic.

Blue Mt. Ambulance staff, Sheriffs Office personnel and Grant County Search and Rescue team members responded to the call. After hiking in and assessing the patient, it was determined the patient would need carried out. A helicopter landing site was located, but the weather deteriorated and the helicopters could not come in. Stacona was then carried to the end of the old “roads end” road, where he was transferred to a litter and carried and wheeled the rest of the way out of the wilderness.

Crews got him to the ambulance near 1:00 am the morning of the 11th. Stacona was later transferred to a hospital in Central Oregon. Stacona and his wife had been on a successful mountain goat hunt.