OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The search for a 22-year-old Port Townsend man reported missing along the Sol Duc River continues, an Olympic National Park official said.
Lee Snook, chief of interpretation and education for the park, said park rangers and crews from Olympic Mountain Rescue have been searching a 2- to 4-square-mile area around where Jacob Gray’s gear was found.
She said Wednesday the search was focused on the west side of the river and that park officials want to keep volunteers from searching for Gray “so they don’t disturb the area.”
She said it’s a “very small” crew that is searching for Gray.
Gray, described by his uncle as an avid outdoorsman, left Port Townsend alone on his bicycle Wednesday towing a trailer full of camping gear.
Olympic National Park visitors found the bike and camping gear Thursday about 6.5 miles up Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, Snook said.
She said he did not have a wilderness camping permit.
Crews couldn’t do a thorough search of the area early on because of the river’s conditions, she said.
Snook described the river as high, cold and fast.
Gray is white, 5-foot-11, weighs about 145 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
David Stokes, Gray’s uncle, has said the family doesn’t typically worry about Gray when he’s in the outdoors because of his experience.
Gray is known to go camping alone in foul weather and in the mountains, Stokes said.
Snook said anyone with information about Gray’s whereabouts should call the park at 360-565-3115.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
