Tuesday, November 24, 2020

USCG Suspends Search for Missing Officer

The search for a Tulalip Tribal Police Department Officer who went missing in the waters near Naval Station Everett on the Snohomish River has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday.

“The Coast Guard and our Navy, state, local and Tribal partners saturated the waters of the Snohomish River to locate the missing police officer, but unfortunately we were not able to find him after an extensive search,” said Lt. Zachary Kearney, the Sector Puget Sound command duty officer. “The decision to suspend a search is one of the most difficult decisions the Coast Guard has to make. We search as if one of our own is missing. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the missing Tulalip Tribal officer.”

The officer was one of two men whose 26-foot work skiff had capsized Tuesday. The crew were encountering rough seas and were taking water over the bow, the agency said.

Navy Whidbey Island Search and Rescue found the vessel submerged about 2 feet below the water line, the USCG said. The survivor, who was found near Hat Island and sent for medical care, said he last saw his partner a half hour before being recovered.

If anyone has information about the missing officer, contact Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6001.