By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has decided to wait until the water level in the Cispus River drops in order to access an area beneath a log jam where a missing 5-year-old child may be.
The Tacoma boy was riding a motorcycle at a camp spot on Monday when he apparently accidentally went into the water. His motorcycle and a visor to his helmet have been recovered.
The child was camping with his family over the weekend about 10 and a half miles south of Randle, along Forest Service Road 120, off Forest Service Road 23.
Search and rescue personnel combed the area, on the ground and in the water each day through Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said a spotter from KIRO TV’s helicopter back on Tuesday observed something the same colors as the boy had been wearing beneath a particular log jam in the swift flowing river. Attempts were made on Wednesday by a water rescue team to probe the jam but they were unsuccessful because of the depth and current, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.
The banks of the river have been searched and the child is presumed drowned.
“It is believed once the water level drops a few feet, searchers will be able to access the area under the logjam in hopes of finding the boy,” Brown said in a news release at mid-day on Thursday.
The plan is to secure a helicopter and crews for another search next week, if the conditions cooperate, according to Brown.
Meanwhile, they will be checking the area on foot frequently and keep monitoring water gauges in the area, Brown said.
“We don’t know that he’s in that log jam,” Brown said. “But we believe he is, given what the KIRO spotter saw and the way the currents run.”
Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield points out how swift and dangerous the search area is, even for rescuers with specialized training.
“Our searchers have worked relentlessly trying to recover this little boy’s body,” Mansfield stated in the news release. “Most of us have children and understand the extreme importance of recovering this little guy for his family. The river conditions have just made this search extremely difficult.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the river level has fluctuated only a few inches either way over the past few days. With the increased warmer weather, unfortunately, the water level will rise due to snowmelt, Brown says.
They also are considering the practicality of utilizing a search dog for future efforts, according to Brown.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter