Body of Missing 22-Year-Old Recovered from Ediz Hook

A multi-agency operation concluded on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, with the recovery of a body identified as a 22-year-old Port Angeles resident. The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identity after personal effects were located near the individual's last known whereabouts, prompting an intensive search operation.

A dive team from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the Ediz Hook Road boat launch around 10:00 a.m. The team, comprised of three divers and one support member on shore, located the deceased individual approximately 20 minutes after entering the water. The United States Coast Guard assisted by securing the waterway and supporting the recovery efforts. Detectives from the Port Angeles Police Department, with help from the family, confirmed the identity of the recovered individual.

The underwater recovery followed a rigorous search launched on June 30. That day, between 22 and 25 personnel from various regional agencies conducted a ground search of the Ediz Hook area. The search focus narrowed to the public boat launch, adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Base, after a Border Collie Human Remains Detection K9, handled by a Snohomish County Search and Rescue volunteer, exhibited a significant change in behavior in that specific area.

Later that evening, two members of Kitsap County Search and Rescue deployed a Remotely Operated Vehicle to search beneath the public dock. While the device did not locate the individual, Clallam County Lead Search and Rescue Coordinator Detective Esther McKellar utilized the data to focus the search area and requested the WDFW dive team for the following morning.

The Sheriff’s Office praised the collaboration among agencies involved, noting that a WDFW dive team member, who also volunteers with Jefferson County Search and Rescue, spent June 30 assisting with the ground search before helping assemble the dive team and returning the next day for the recovery.

Agencies involved in the operation included the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, the Port Angeles Police Department, Jefferson County Search and Rescue, Snohomish County Search and Rescue, Kitsap County Search and Rescue, the WDFW Dive Team, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The professionalism, dedication, and collaboration demonstrated throughout this operation exemplify the strong partnerships that exist among public safety agencies across our region,” the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office stated. “While this search ended with a heartbreaking outcome, every available resource was utilized in the effort to bring Gunnar home to his family.”

The Sheriff’s Office extended condolences to the family and loved ones during this difficult time.