Sheriff’s Office: No new leads after search and rescue operation

Published 1:30 pm Friday, July 24, 2026

NEAH BAY — A search and rescue operation concluded Friday night without any signs of two unrelated hikers at Cape Flattery.

The operation ended about 6 p.m. Friday following a search of the Cape Flattery trail system, including the beaches, coves, ravines and surrounding terrain, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said. Neither person was located and no new leads developed, the agency added.

The Cape Flattery Trail has reopened to the public, the Sheriff’s Office said.

On Wednesday, Neah Bay Public Safety contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding two hikers who were unaccounted for at the Cape Flattery trailhead on Makah Tribal Land.

Jeffrey R. Hunter, 53, of Columbus, Ohio, parked his vehicle at the Cape Flattery parking area on July 16 and had not returned, the Sheriff’s Office said Friday afternoon.

“No one had seen or heard from Hunter since he obtained his Makah permit to be on tribal land,” the release stated. “Deputies contacted Hunter’s family and learned Hunter had been on a road trip and no one had heard from him in several days.”

In addition, Florin Anghel Grigoriu, 44, of Kirkland, was reported missing.

Grigoriu rented a vehicle in Port Angeles on Tuesday and arrived at the Cape Flattery trailhead about noon, according to Sheriff’s Office.

“(Grigoriu’s) cellphone was left in the vehicle and no one had heard from him,” the release stated. “Deputies contacted his family and learned that Grigoriu had been exhibiting some mental health issues recently which was also corroborated by recent interactions he had with local law enforcement.”

On Thursday, deputies started a multi-agency response to local Hunter and Grigoriu.

Ground search and rescue teams, marine resources and technical rescue teams included Olympic National Park Service, Makah Natural Resource Enforcement, Clallam County Search and Rescue, the state Department of Corrections Incident Response Team, Neah Bay Fire & EMS, U.S. Coast Guard and Neah Bay Public Safety.

K9 teams also deployed from Kitsap County, Pierce County and the Mason County German Shepherd Rescue Team.

The search was supported by the FBI and Clallam County Sheriff’s detectives.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Hunter or Grigoriu should contact Clallam County dispatch at 360-417-2459.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.