Authorities have suspended their search for a Kelso hiker missing in the Lava Canyon area since Oct. 15, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded that evening after getting a call from Avery Jackson, 19, of Kelso, who said her hiking partner, Garrett Canada, 18, also of Kelso, was missing.
They were hiking on the Lava Canyon Trail, at the end of National Forest Road 83, about 18 miles east of Cougar, the sheriff’s office said.
Jackson told officials the two became separated after she stopped to shoot photos. She hiked around the trail system, and waited at their car to check with other hikers, but had no luck. She found a ride to Cougar where she called for help, the sheriff’s office said.
A responding deputy found Canada’s vehicle, and the Volcano Rescue Team organized a search.
Around 3 a.m. Tuesday, rescue teams found indications Canada may have entered the water near or just past the first waterfall through Lava Canyon.
Search teams, dive crews, a drone and a helicopter continued searching the area Wednesday and Thursday, and found additional evidence Canada may have ended up in the water.
He was not found, and the search was suspended Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office and Volcano Rescue Team was monitoring the area, the sheriff’s office said, and the family is coordinating with authorities in conducting its own search.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office reminded hikers its dangerous to travel off-trail in the Lava Canyon area. The pools near each waterfall are difficult to navigate and the flow of water is consistent throughout the year. The agency has investigated multiple fatal falls in the area.
