Date: April 14, 2017
Contact: Lee Snook, (360)565-3005
Search for Jacob Gray Transitions Out of Olympic National Park
Search operations within Olympic National Park for Jacob Gray of Bellevue, WA have transitioned to a limited continuous search. This means that rangers will continue to follow up on any clues that emerge, but are not actively searching.
The focus of the search will now shift to U.S. Forest Service land on the south side of the Sol Duc River, coordinated by the Clallam County Sheriffs Department.
"I want to thank those involved in the search and express compassion for Jacob's loved ones during these very trying days," said Olympic National Park Acting Superintendent Lee Taylor.
Gray’s unattended bicycle and camping gear were reported to the park on the afternoon of Thursday, April 6. Park Rangers conducted a hasty search in the area of the bicycle including the bank of the Sol Duc River. On Friday, April 7 rangers made contact with Gray’s family and widened their search to include the road corridor of the Sol Duc River Road. Concentrating their search around the river, which has been running fast, cold, and high, rangers continued the search April 8-10 . On the afternoon Tuesday, April 11, members of the Olympic Mountain Rescue joined the search and on April 12 extended the search area to the left side of the river outside the boundaries of Olympic National Park, increasing the search area to roughly four square miles. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 13 a search dog team from Everett Mountain Rescue out of Snohomish County searched the left side of the river bank.
