Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Clark, left, of the Pacific County Sheriff's Office discusses search details with Sgt. Richard Byrd of Pacific County Search and Rescue. In total, 15 different agencies from five counties aided in the search for two missing clam diggers near Leadbetter State Park last week. TIMM COLLINS photo

LEADBETTER POINT – After nearly 64 hours searching hundreds of square miles of wooded area, bay and beach front, the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office decided to call off the search for a Longview man who disappeared with a friend while digging for clams at Leadbetter State Park.

Longview resident Gene Lafever, 57, was still missing at press time. However, the body of companion Janette Caron, 54, of Castle Rock was recovered Friday on the north side of Willapa Bay, near Tokeland. The Pacific County Search and Rescue Team suspended its search for Lefever Saturday, Jan. 24, claiming all possible search efforts had been exhausted. If new information is gathered, the search may be reopened.

An autopsy was performed Sunday, and the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office reports the results indicate a death consistent with drowning in salt water. Sheriff John Didion said there was no evidence of foul play.

Around 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, Caron and Lafever left Longview headed for the clam beds of Leadbetter Point – that was the last known time they were seen alive.

The next day, Caron’s 1995 Toyota Tacoma pick-up was spotted by a local resident who called Hill’s Towing of Ocean Park to report the seemingly abandoned vehicle. When George Hill reached the vehicle, a strange feeling came over him. Hill said things just didn’t add up.

“I could tell the truck had been through a few tides,” said Hill. “The hubs were not locked, and the four-wheel drive lever had not been engaged. To me, that meant that the truck had not been stuck. Something else was going on, and it gave me a very eerie feeling.”

After a closer examination, it was discovered that all the gear the couple would have used to dig for clams was missing. There was a change of shoes on the floor and two wristwatches and a cell phone were inside the vehicle. All indications pointed to the possibility that the couple had left the vehicle to dig for clams and never returned.

Hill gained entry into the locked vehicle by breaking the passenger side window, and after towing the truck to Ocean Park, he found an address book belonging to Caron. The name of a family member was located and Hill made the phone call.

“The first thing I asked was if this person was mentally disabled or had any mental problems that would have explained why the car had been abandoned,” he said. “There was nothing, so I called the sheriff and reported a missing person. Within an hour, Search and Rescue and the Coast Guard were up there searching.”

Darkness quickly overcame the search parties and the effort was suspended until daybreak Wednesday. When the light returned, Leadbetter State Park was literally crawling with searchers from local areas, as well as Cowlitz, Thurston and Lewis County. An Explorer Scourt Troop from the Olympia area played a valuable role.

Hundreds of people from 15 different agencies, family members and concerned residents of the community scoured the trails, woods and beaches of Leadbetter State Park and Willapa Bay. For three entire days, hundreds of square miles were searched and nothing was found, not an out-of-place footprint or article of torn clothing. There was simply no trace of the missing clammers.

Around 10 a.m. Friday, family members identified the remains of Caron, found earlier that day on the shore near Tokeland. Two hours after that, the land search was called off as the search parties waited for a storm to pass before resuming the search of Willapa Bay, but no sign of Lefever or what may have happened Tuesday night has since been found.

Sheriff Didion said of the search efforts, “It speaks well of people from our local area, as well as surrounding areas. Everyone involved was hoping for a different outcome, but it is a relief to have some level of closure on the situation.”

The Longview Daily News reports that Lefever underwent triple bypass surgery five years ago, and family members believe he would not be strong enough to survive an extended period of time in Willapa Bay or the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to the searchers

A special thank you to the men and women of the following agencies who helped in the search effort. Your hard work is very much appreciated.

Pacific County Search and Rescue

East Grays Harbor Search and Rescue

West Coast Search Dogs

Northwest Search Dogs

Cascade Search Dogs

Silver Star Search and Rescue out of Clark County

Cowlitz County Search and Rescue

Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, Dive Team

Packwood Search and Rescue

Lewis County Search and Rescue, ATV division

Olympia Search and Rescue

Thurston County WESAR

Thurston County Jeep Patrol

The United States Coast Guard

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife