Man who went missing in Elma floodwaters is presumed dead, Grays Harbor Undersheriff says
A 39-year-old man who went missing overnight Sunday in Elma after he drove his truck into floodwaters is presumed dead, the Grays Harbor County Undersheriff said in a message on social media.
The man was identified as Timothy Warren, who had been living in Malone, just southeast of Elma. He was initially misidentified as an Aberdeen resident.
“Investigators have determined it is very unlikely that Warren was picked up by another person,” Undersheriff Brad Johansson said. “At this time, it is believed Warren exited his disabled vehicle and was swept away by the floodwaters and is deceased.”
About 3:20 a.m. Sunday, deputies learned the man went missing in the area of a road closure on Porter Creek Road West in Elma, The Olympian reported.
A friend told deputies that he had received a call earlier that night from Warren, asking for help after he drove his truck into floodwaters and became disabled.
The friend got to the vehicle about 2:30 a.m. but Warren was not in it.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Swift Water Rescue team conducted an initial search at daylight Sunday, but were unable to locate Warren. The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office and state Department of Fish and Wildlife officers also searched the area in boats without locating the man.
“This is another tragic event as a result of the recent flooding,” Johannson said.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
