Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A body was found today near Packwood in the area where the 68-year-old Auburn man went missing a week and a half ago.

Saykham Tiansevilay was reported missing Sept. 29, when he didn’t return home from hunting mushrooms the day before.

Search and rescue teams gave up their search last Friday.

A spokesperson for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said he didn’t know yet if the body is confirmed to be Tiansevilay.

The sheriff’s office got the call around 3 p.m., a deputy was responding  and the coroner’s office was on its way up there, Sgt. Rob Snaza said. Snaza didn’t yet have any other details.

More than 25 search and rescue personnel began combing the densely forested area around Forest Service Road 47 approximately five miles northwest of Packwood last Wednesday and found the man’s truck, with a dead battery. The area was covered multiple times by multiple teams.

Last Friday, the sheriff’s office put out a call to the public for information, in case Tiansevilay had attempted to walk out or perhaps even gotten a lift from someone.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Gene Seiber said yesterday the man’s cell phone was located in his truck and it showed he attempted to call family and friends that Saturday evening until 2 o’clock the following morning and then began calling again from 5 a.m. until 8:30 a.m.

Seiber was puzzled about what could have happened, saying it was the only the third time in his 23 years as search and rescue coordinator that someone was not found.

The family has stayed up in the area continuing to look for him, he said.

The search area was at an elevation of about 2,500 feet, with no snow on the ground, although filled with many deep and narrow canyons, according to Seiber. It is also an area well-traveled with mushroom hunters this time of year, he said.

Snaza said he expected further information would be available in the morning.

UPDATE: The family of the missing mushroom hunter found his body near the top of a ridge above Williame Creek – well within the search area. It appeared Tiansevilay slid approximately 40 feet down a steep embankment and may have suffered from hypothermia, according to the sheriff’s office.

Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

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