LONGVIEW, Wash. (KATU) — Officials in Longview, Washington, said Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. that all nine workers who were missing after a white liquor tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill have been recovered and identified.
Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig said the recovery effort reached its final milestone on the fifth day of the incident.
“Today on day 5 of this incident, I can share that we have recovered the ninth and final missing employee of this incident,” Hannig said.
Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker said her office had recovered and identified all nine people who were missing.
“As of this afternoon, our office has recovered and identified all nine missing individuals,” Tucker said.
SEE ALSO | How you can help victims and families impacted by the deadly blast in Longview
The incident happened May 26, when a large white liquor tank suffered what officials described as a catastrophic failure at the mill. Authorities said they are still investigating what caused the implosion.
Out of the nine workers who have been confirmed dead, two of them were pronounced dead at the hospital in the hours after the blast.
Longview officials recovered and identified nine previously missing victims after a white liquor tank implosion at a paper mill in the Washington town. From left to right: 54-year-old Dale Miller and a family member, 26-year-old Clinton (CJ) Doran and his wife, 52-year-old Gilbert Bernal with a family member, 51-year-old John Forsburg, and 38-year-old Braydon Finkas with a family member.
Officials had said Friday afternoon that crews recovered a seventh person who died in the implosion, and that as of Friday afternoon crews were working to recover the remains of two more victims. Saturday’s update confirmed all nine have now been recovered.
Tucker released a list of the victims Saturday night:
- Gilbert Bernal, 52, of Kelso
- Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock
- Brad Covington, 27, of Castle Rock
- Robert Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie
- Dale Miller, 54, of Portland
- Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview
- Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet
- Clinton Doran, 26, of Kelso
- John Forsberg, 51, of Longview
- Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver
A man named Dillon Miller was also identified as one of the 11 victims, but Longview officials said, because he was transported out of the county, they did not have their age.
Families of five of the 11 victims provided pictures of their loved ones to KATU News.
Kurt Stich, chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, called the incident “a horrific tragedy.”
“This is a horrific tragedy that has profoundly impacted our community, and we appreciate the public’s continued passion and support,” Stich said.
Officials described the recovery work as difficult and methodical amid debris.
“It was physically laborious work, it was very difficult, there was heavy items to be moved, and they had to continuously inspect the area,” Stich said.
Scott Tift, president of Western Pulp and Paperworkers, said the community response has stood out.
“As someone who lives here and knows many of these families, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary of love and support this community has shown,” Tift said.
In a question-and-answer portion of the update, officials did not provide additional details about ongoing cleanup efforts at the site or the condition of the victims, saying only that cleanup is ongoing.
Environmental officials also addressed reports of wildlife impacts in the area.
Brooks Stanfield of the EPA said crews have been seeing increasing numbers of dead fish in local waterways.
“We have seen dead fish in the ditches and the canal network in Longview, and the numbers (of dead fish) have steadily increased,” Stanfield said.
Stanfield said reports to a hotline have helped direct crews.
“We’re getting reports through our hotline that are reporting in dead fish and that’s actually helping our crews, directing our resources to go… investigate those areas and recover those fish where we can, where it’s safe to do so,” he said.
The hotline number provided was 1-800-22-BIRDS.
Courtney Serad of the Washington Department of Ecology said most reports have involved fish in ditches, and “the vast majority of those fish are carp.” Officials also noted reports of dead tadpoles and small wildlife.
Fundraiser pages for impacted families
Family of Dillon Miller
Family of Jared Ammons
Family of CJ Doran
Family of Gilbert Bernal
Parents of siblings Tyler & Brad Covington
Family and children of Tyler Covington
Family of John Forsberg
Family of Braydon Finkas
Family of Dale Miller
