Lights & Sirens - Two men still missing on Green River

Go behind the yellow tape with the TNT's Crime & Breaking News Team.

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

Posted by Ian Demsky @ 02:41:25 pm

Here's the press release from the King County Sheriff's Office:

Two men remain missing on the Green River. Searchers were back early this morning to continue the search. Search teams include the Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Guardian One, plus numerous civilian Search & Rescue personnel.

King County rivers are still running high, fast, and cold, and the Green and Cedar rivers are closed to all recreational activity until further notice.

A man from Seattle was kayaking with three others down-stream from Kanasket Palmer State Park yesterday. Around noon the man was seen going under the water in his kayak but he didn’t reappear.

The area where the kayaker disappeared is in the gorge area of the Green River, with steep cliffs on both sides. The group couldn’t leave the water and call for help until they reached the Green River Gorge Bridge over an hour later.

The missing man was wearing black bib Gortex pants, a black and blue Gortex top, purple life jacket and a blue helmet. He was in a yellow and red Huka-brand kayak with skirt. He is about 45 years old.

About 4:00 PM another man was reported missing. He is an African American, 34 years-old from Federal Way. He and three other men tied two small, inflatable rafts together and put them in the river near Flaming Geyser State Park. Downstream the raft flipped and all four went into the water. The three were rescued and the fourth has not been seen since.

If any of the public saw the four rafters in the river or the fourth man trying to get of the river they are asked to call the King County Sheriff's Office. This information could help searchers pinpoint where to look.

Also, if anyone saw the kayaker yesterday, they are also asked to call the King County Sheriff's Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hrs.)

Categories: King County

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Lights & Sirens

This blog provides breaking news, updates on on-going investigations and insights into other news from the local criminal justice community. It also gives The News Tribune an avenue to interact with readers, answer “What was that?” questions and provides a venue for readers to ask about on-going criminal justice issues and problems in their neighborhoods. The blog aims to inform, educate and, at times, entertain with weird or wacky crime news.

The Lineup

Stacey Mulick covers Pierce County crime and safety issues for The News Tribune. She’s been the crime reporter since May 2000 and been a reporter at the paper for more than seven years. Her first taste of Tacoma’s rich crime life was the Trang Dai massacre on July 5, 1998. Since, she’s reported on a slew of crimes, from scams targeting seniors to serial rapists to high-profile homicides. Contact her at stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com.

Adam Lynn covers courts as part of the Crime and Breaking News Team at The News Tribune, where he’s worked since 2003. Lynn spent nearly half of his 20-year career chronicling criminal justice matters in Washington and won reporting awards for his coverage of serial killer Robert Yates. “The Corpse Had a Familiar Face” by renowned Miami Herald reporter Edna Buchanan is among his favorite books. You can contact him at adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com.

Ian Demsky covers criminal justice as part of the Crime and Breaking News Team at The News Tribune, where he’s worked since 2007. Before coming to the TNT, Demsky worked at newspapers in Florida, New York, Missouri, Tennessee and Oregon. Outside work, he reads science fiction and hikes. You can contact him at ian.demsky@thenewstribune.com.

Local crime links

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• Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
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