Loot the Deschutes offers lost and found on Bend’s high-traffic river

On a recent afternoon in Bend, kids and adults squealed as their inner tubes bumped down river rapids designed for summer fun. When it’s hot outside, the city’s whitewater park on the Deschutes River can draw more than 7,000 floaters a day. The scene gets chaotic with tubes, kayaks and paddleboards piling up on each other.

One floater held an iPhone in one hand, and a beer can in the other. Others clutched soggy shoes, and more than a few lost control. Lled Smith studied the fray with a trained eye.

“Watch this lady,” said the 53-year-old database administrator from Bend. He pointed to a woman sprawled over a flimsy pool float, and tried to guess exactly where it would flip over.

If she dropped something, Smith wanted to know where to look for it later.

He’s an avid river surfer who rides a wave at the park most mornings, but he also puts his wetsuit to another use: diving with a snorkel and mask to find what gets lost in one of Oregon’s most popular recreational rivers. He and two friends — Miranda and Kea Eubank — started doing this regularly in 2018, and Smith created an Instagram account to post pictures of their underwater finds. Now, @LootTheDeschutes has nearly 8,000 followers, and a compelling mission to reunite lost items with their rightful owners.

“It’s like treasure hunting,” Smith said, “And the littlest thing can turn into the biggest thing.”

A delicate silver ring slipped off Layla Yako’s finger in the rapids last summer. A year later, she saw a photo of it on Loot the Deschutes’ Instagram and messaged Smith. He asked her to send a picture of herself with the ring, which is one way he verifies people’s claims. Yako responded quickly and they met up.