Skamania County sheriff’s deputies are coordinating a search for a 78-year-old man reported missing in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Richard L. Sugai, 78, of Beaverton, Ore., was reported overdue from a mushroom-picking day trip at 4:17 p.m. Saturday. Sugai’s last known location was Forest Service Road 60, about 10 miles north of Carson, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
Sugai was in the area with family, who has reportedly picked mushrooms there for decades, according to the sheriff’s office.
A search and rescue deputy responded to the road and spoke with the family members. They said Sugai was last seen entering the woods earlier Saturday.
“When he didn’t return, the family began to search for him. They alerted our office when it began to get dark,” the sheriff’s office said.
The family told deputies that Sugai has a condition that requires daily medication. He was dressed for the torrential rain, but his clothing is darkly colored. The family has asked that Sugai’s photo not be released.
Deputies started looking for Sugai that same day. Teams scoured the woods through the night but could not find him. Other mushroom pickers and people at hunting camps have been alerted about the missing man.
The search efforts continued Sunday and Monday, and will resume this morning, according to the sheriff’s office.
