COSMOPOLIS, Wash. — The Gray's Harbor Sheriff's Office says search crews recovered the body of a missing 72-year-old man on Saturday morning near Cosmopolis.
A woman called and reported her husband, 72-year-old Delbert Pratt, missing after he went to move their car to higher ground Friday in an attempt to avoid floodwaters, according to the sheriff's office.
Around 9 a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies and firefighters found Pratt dead in his vehicle. The vehicle was found underwater about 100 yards west of the driveway, and was removed by a tow truck, the sheriff's office said.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office believes Pratt was swept away in floodwaters and quickly submerged in deep water.
Deputies were initially unable to reach Pratt's residence due to the floodwaters surrounding the area. District 15 firefighters and family members helped search.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office responded later Friday with the Pacific County Sheriff's Office and their drone to search the area but they were unable to locate Pratt or his vehicle, the sheriff's office said.