By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Deputies, along with search and rescue personnel, are looking for a missing man whose vehicle and belongings were located without him when two friends came to the Blue Creek Boat Launch area to fish with him on Saturday morning.
Prathana Nammavong
Prathana Nammavong, a 43 year old resident of Des Moines, commonly fishes the Cowlitz River in the same area, beginning on Friday and concluding on Sunday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
The friends located a chair and fishing poles belonging to Nammavong approximately a quarter of a mile down the Cowlitz River, near its confluence with Blue Creek, according to the sheriff’s office. The items were on the bank above the river, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.
The friends looked for about five hours before reporting him missing at 1:15 p.m., according to Breen.
Breen said responders are on the water this afternoon and a ground search along the banks of the river was conducted earlier today.
The boat launch is south of Ethel, off Spencer Road.
Nammavong was last in contact when he communicated to friends via cellphone on Friday morning, Breen said.
Breen said attempts to locate Nammavong were also made during the weekend using water craft and a K-9. He expects they will continue today until dark.
Anyone with information or who had contact with Nammavong this weekend is asked to please call the sheriff’s office at 360-748-9286 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
He doesn’t have a boat. Every time I went fishin he was always on the bank. He was a really cool guy. He’d stay on the bank and fish all weekend long
Sounds like he was bank fishing. If it is the area I think, good chance he slipped into the water, and it is deep there. I hope not.
I meant boat or camper.
I wonder if he had a boat or even a car.