Press Release
Sheriff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seattle Fire Chief Found after 13 day search

Kittitas County, WA - 11/14/2021 - Seattle Deputy Fire Chief Jay Schreckengost was found deceased today.

This afternoon, Sunday 11/14, Seattle Deputy Fire Chief Jay Schreckengost was found deceased in the mountains near Cliffdell in Kittitas County. The Chief went scouting for elk on Tuesday 11/2 and, since he didn’t r, has been the subject of a search involving 60 different agencies and organizations and thousands of hours from professional and trained volunteer searchers.

There was no preliminary evidence of suspicious activity or foul play. The Chief was found about a half mile from the spot where his pickup was parked on the day he went hunting. Chief Schreckengost’s family and the Seattle Fire Department were notified immediately that he was found.

The Kittitas County Coroner responded with the Sheriff’s Office and will complete the investigation to confirm the Chief’s cause of death. The Chief’s family and members of the Seattle Fire Department escorted Chief Schreckengost to Johnston and Williams funeral home in Ellensburg with the Coroner.

Sheriff Clay Myers stated: “We’re saddened to give news of Chief Schreckengost’s passing to his family and fellow firefighters, and we ask the public and press to respect their privacy as they grieve his loss. We also want to thank everyone who participated in or supported this search. It was a tremendous outpouring of resources and effort that produced a vital result: a family knows what happened to their loved one and he can be brought home to them.”
 

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Chris Whitsett
509-962-7615
christopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us

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