It is always so heartbreaking when people come to recreate and enjoy our area …and tragedy strikes.

I happened to be listening to the scanner at work last Thursday when a call came in for a possible drowning at the Bogachiel Hatchery. Our ambulance crew was on it! But, soon learned the victim(s) was/were not actually at the Hatchery, but elsewhere on the river ….somewhere. Responders proceeded south and north to try to get to the spot they needed to be.

A call was put out for a Coast Guard helicopter …it would be thirty minutes …an eternity … Other agencies sprang into action. A call went out …was the swift water team needed?

As they finally homed in on the location of the two men a breathless responder said he could see two people…but they were on the other side of the river. One person was moving the other was not.

A responder reaching the pair said he could detect a faint pulse on the unresponsive man. Life-saving effort ensued and the other man was retrieved and efforts to warm him up were begun. I believe he was able to walk out.

When the helicopter was not used, those responding announced that they would continue life-saving efforts as the unresponsive man was carried out.

Even though the eventual outcome was not what everyone was hoping for, the response by the Forks Ambulance crew and all others involved was truly amazing to listen to. We are so fortunate to have these responders in our area.

Report from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office about the accident …

On Thursday, Feb. 2 at approximately 12:46 p.m. Deputies from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Forks Detachment were dispatched to the report of a fisherman on the Calawah River who was reported to have fallen into the river and may be deceased. Deputies and emergency personnel responded to the Bogachiel River Fish Hatchery where the reporting party was contacted.

The reporting party guided rescue personnel to a location along the Calawah River located less than one mile upstream from where the Calawah River flows into the Bogachiel River, just upstream from the Hatchery.

Rescue personnel located an unresponsive man who was in the Calawah River, laying on rocks near the river bank. Rescue personnel conducted C.P.R. on the unresponsive man. Rescue personnel used a stokes basket and ropes to lift the man up the steep riverbank to a logging road, where he was transported by ambulance to the Forks Community Hospital.

Hospital Medical staff at the Forks Community Hospital continued lifesaving efforts in an attempt to revive the man who was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.

The deceased man was identified as 47-year-old Dennis De Leon of Bremerton. Mr. De Leon had traveled to the Forks area with three of his friends to go fishing.

Responding Rescue personnel were from the following agencies, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Forks Police Department, La Push Police Department, Lapush Fish and Wildlife, Forks District #1 Fire Department, Three Rivers-Quillayute Prairie District #6 Fire Department, Washington State Fish and Game Department and Forks Ambulance personnel.

The cause of death is currently under investigation by the Clallam County Coroner’s Office. Mr. De Leon’s next of kin have been notified. At this time foul play is not suspected.

Comments by family/friends

I posted the Sheriff’s report on the Forks Forum Facebook page and several friends/family of Mr. De Leon had messages for those involved with the rescue call.

“Please extend the gratitude of all members of his family to those responders. We truly appreciate all of them.”

“Thanks so much for gracious efforts. God bless you all.”

And as those lifesaving efforts had been taking place another call came in for an injury in La Push and a second ambulance crew was mustered!

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Burglarized Arena

Concession Stand

Thanks to all who sent me tips regarding the stolen refrigerator and stove from the concession stand at the park arena. I am not sure if last week I mentioned it but the senior parents also had cases of pop stored there, which were also taken as well as hamburger patties. Know someone eating a lot of burgers lately?? served up with soda pop? Just a thought.

And…

And a thank you to Eric Schwartz, a former FHS grad (2003), who sent me an email on Sunday. He told me that he is the Editor of The Chronicle in Centralia (and a couple of weeklies in Yelm and Battle Ground). He shared some very kind words with me that I really appreciated. I happen to follow the Chronicle on Facebook and I didn’t know a former Forks resident was the Editor!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Christi Baron, Editor