Search efforts for missing man suspended

FORKS — Recovery teams have suspended search efforts for the body of a man lost last week in the Bogachiel River.

However, a family dog that had been missing since a drift boat overturned Thursday afternoon has been found, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Alfonso Graham, 39, of Port Orchard has been missing since the boat accident Thursday near Forks.

“Official search efforts have been suspended at this time,” the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said. “Search efforts have been hampered by the volume of water in the river, visibility through the water, and river obstructions. As river conditions improve, our office will reevaluate future search efforts.”

Teams concentrated their search efforts on a stretch of the Bogachiel River between the Wilson Road boat launch and Leyendecker County Park, according to the press release.

The drift boat was recovered from the river Friday.

Graham was on the boat with Christian Akers, 35, of Sequim, Akers’ 7-year-old son Wyatt Akers, and a 33-year-old Port Orchard man. Christian and Wyatt Akers both were pulled from the water Thursday, but they died at the scene despite lifesaving efforts, the Sheriff’s Office said last week.

The 33-year-old Port Orchard man survived but has not been identified.

Meanwhile, the Akers’ family dog was found in Forks on Monday morning. A Forks resident reported finding the dog, which was then reunited with the Akers family in Sequim with the help of Clallam County Fire District 6 and a volunteer from Forks Friends of Animals, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Agencies that supported the search included the Clallam County Fire District 1 Swift Water Rescue team, the Department of Corrections Inmate Recovery Team (IRT), Clallam County Search and Rescue and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Three drones were deployed to assist with the search efforts, the Sheriff’s Office said.