SOU Alumni Director Mike Beagle Dies During Hike on Wagner Butte as Search Teams Battle Winter Conditions

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — A Central Point man, 63-year-old Southern Oregon University (SOU) Alumni Director, Michael James Beagle, passed away following a medical incident near the summit on the Wagner Butte Trail on Sunday.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responding to a report of a deceased adult male near the summit of the trail outside Talent found the body of Michael “Mike” Beagle at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet in steep, mountainous terrain on Sunday, February 15, at approximately 3:30 p.m. The JCSO Medical Examiner detectives investigated and determined the death was the result of a medical event.

JCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) deputies and volunteers worked in challenging conditions, including snow, ice, high elevation, and an approaching winter storm. Teams worked until after sundown to help ensure other hikers in the area exited safely as weather conditions deteriorated.

The following morning, SAR teams returned to recover Mr. Beagle, and after approximately 10 hours in the field in snow and strong winds, they safely and respectfully recovered him and transferred him to a local funeral home.

No suspicious circumstances were observed, and there is no further investigation.

JCSO sent condolences to his family and loved ones, and SOU shared a tribute, saying, “Mike left us while doing what he loved most, exploring the mountains and forests of Southern Oregon.”