Press Release
Sheriff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Missing Hiker Found Deceased Near Lake Lillian

Kittitas County, WA - 08/17/2021 - Hiker Nicolas Gomiero, age 24, of Seattle, was reported missing on Monday when family and friends discovered he hadn’t returned home from a Sunday evening hike in the area of Lake Lillian near Snoqualmie Pass in Kittitas County. Mr. Gomiero was found deceased on the morning of Wednesday, 8/17/22, the third day of searching for him.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office launched a search and rescue operation on Monday afternoon and searched into the night. The search resumed Tuesday, when Kittitas County Search and Rescue and surrounding county SAR teams searched all day in the steep, rugged, mountainous terrain. At about 6:30 am on Wednesday morning, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, ‘SnoHawk,’ spotted Nicolas, apparently deceased from a fall, at the foot of some cliffs near Lake Lillian. Due to the rugged terrain, the Snohomish County flight crew returned to their base and retrieved a larger craft, which they used to lower teams down to Nicolas and recover him by hoist. Nicolas was brought to Snoqualmie Pass and transferred to the Kittitas County Coroner’s Office, which will examine the cause of his death.
This large search operation depended on cooperation from professionals and volunteers from a long list of agencies, including:
•Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue, who provided a base of operations;
•The Soup Ladies, who provided meals for searchers and support personnel;
•And all the teams of searchers with special skills, training and equipment who participated, including:
o Kittitas County Search and Rescue (KCSR)
o Washington State SAR Planning Unit
o King County SAR
o Seattle Mountain Rescue
o Chelan County SAR
o Pierce County SAR
o Tacoma Mountain Rescue
o Olympic Mountain Rescue
o Kitsap County SAR
o Snohomish County SAR
o Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit
o King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support unit
o Washington State Department of Emergency Management
Sheriff Clay Myers said, “We grieve with Mr. Gomiero’s family and loved ones for his sudden, unexpected passing, and we thank all those who dedicated their time and energy to answering the painful questions of his loved ones.”

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

###

Contact: Chris Whitsett
christopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us
509-962-7525

Sign up for email notifications

---