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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Saturday 8 p.m. update: Stouts fire, weather pose firefighting challenge ... Southern Oregon gets double dose of smoke ... Medford police identify suspect in drive-by shooting ... Saturday 8 p.m. update: Stouts fire, weather pose firefighting challenge ... Southern Oregon gets double dose of smoke ... Medford police identify suspect in drive-by shooting ... PORTLAND Man who blew himself up had prior mental crisis Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News An Oregon man who killed himself last week in an explosion along a busy highway below Mount Hood had a recent mental health crisis that sent him to a southwest Washington hospital, authorities said. The revelation surprised the family of Jeffrey R. Williams and shed light on the determination that he committed suicide, The Oregonian reported. On Feb. 16, the 24-year-old Portland man called 911 from Beacon Rock State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia River, said Chief Deputy Pat Bond of the Skamania County sheriff's office. When deputies arrived, they found Williams in the parking lot. He told them he was considering hanging himself, the deputies reported. They found a rope tied to a railing. Williams was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. How long he was there hasn't been disclosed. About a month later, on March 19 along U.S. 26, investigators found a crater left by an explosion. The hole was 11 feet wide. Authorities believe the blast was caused by chemicals used to make exploding targets. The Oregon state medical examiner's office ruled Williams' death a suicide. Williams' uncle, Lt. Eric Schober of the Portland Police Bureau, said the family hadn't known about the Skamania report until Tuesday and "did not see the signs of someone contemplating suicide." In Washington, a police officer can place a psychiatric hold on a person for up to 72 hours if there is reasonable cause to believe the person is suffering from a mental disorder and there is a high likelihood the person faces imminent serious harm. The person's family cannot be notified without the patient's consent, PeaceHealth spokesman Randy Querin said. Schober said Williams had studied computer science at a community college, was between tech support jobs and had broken up with a girlfriend several months ago — although that didn't seem to trouble him. "He was a happy-go-lucky kid. He kept his personal feelings to himself," Schober said. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501