News Release

Search Efforts Continue for Two Overdue Hikers

Date: June 24, 2020
Contact: Patti Wold, 360-569-6701

June 24, 2020, Ashford, WA—Search operations continued today for Vincent Djie in the Longmire area and Talal Sabbagh at Paradise. Operations focused on ground searches with a total of 55 personnel combined between the two incidents. Response to missing persons flyers on social media and in the park shed new light on actions of each individual.

Search 1 of 2, Longmire
Longmire, WA—Wednesday, June 24, 2020 was the second day of searching for Vincent Djie, a 25-year-old Indonesian student, who has been living in Seattle. Ground searchers and canine teams searched the trails and areas to the northeast of Longmire. A total of 25 personnel were assigned to today’s search efforts.

Djie was last seen Friday, June 19, at 3:00 pm hiking the Van Trump Trail toward Mildred Point. Djie failed to return home on June 19th and was reported missing to the Pierce County Sherriff’s Office. On Monday, June 22, a “Be On The Look Out” or BOLO was issued by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for Djie’s vehicle which was subsequently found at Longmire, within Mount Rainier National Park. Djie was wearing black pants, and a blue and white tie dye shirt, and carrying a small drawstring-type bag. If you have any information regarding his current location, please call [phone].

On Tuesday, June 23, park rangers and volunteers from the Tacoma Mountain Rescue conducted ground and aerial searches, and utilized Forward Looking Infrared Rader, or FLIR, to detect any heat signatures being emitted in the area.

Currently, most park trails are melted out to approximately 5,000 feet elevation, with patchy snow on trails and drainages at lower elevations.

The park is working closely with the Indonesian Consulate in San Francisco, CA and family members. Tacoma Mountain Rescue,  Seattle Mountain Rescue, Olympic Mountain Rescue, German Shepherd Search Dog Team, Volcano Rescue Team, Washington State SAR Planning Unit, and Mount Rainier National Park Search and Rescue teams are currently involved in the search. This operation is one of two major searches currently underway in the park.

Search 2 of 2, Paradise
June 24, 2020, Paradise, WA—Day three of the search for Talah Sabbagh continued today with ground teams, a canine team, and aviation contributing to search efforts. We extend our appreciation to the public for responding to our request for information on Sabbagh. The park is actively reviewing all the information that comes in. Any information provided aids us in search efforts. Crews are focusing on the northeast trails at Paradise. A total of 30 personnel assisted in today’s operations.

Talal Sabbagh, 27-year-old, from Seattle, was reported missing on Monday, June 22. He was last seen in hiking in Paradise on Sunday, June 21, 2020. Rangers located his vehicle in the parking lot at Paradise. A hasty search was conducted on Monday resulting in no sign of Sabbagh. Search efforts expanded on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23-24. 

He was last seen wearing a gray shirt, black shorts, and dark Nike shoes. If you have any information regarding his current location, please call [phone].

The park is coordinating with his family. Seattle, Olympic, and Everett Mountain Rescues, Pierce County Explorers, and Mount Rainier National Park have contributed to search efforts.

Weather in the park a few showers moved through Mount Rainier National Park on Wednesday as a cold front traversed across Western Washington. Thursday and Friday will trend drier and warmer as upper level ridging nudges back into the Pacific Northwest.