06/02/2025 – Everett Police Update on Recovery Efforts
Below is an email sent to media by Everett Police Public Information Officer Natalie Given on 06/02/2025 after recovery efforts over the weekend led to the recovery of two of the three victims in the boating incident off Harborview Park.
On Saturday, May 31st, the Everett Police conducted a recovery operation regarding the boat which sunk in Possession Sound on May 21st, 2025.
I want to emphasize that this entire effort would have been impossible without the assistance of Innerspace Exploration Team. It would also not have been possible without Crayton Fenn, who is their team leader. More about him: https://fennenterprises.com/about-us.
When this operation became a “recovery” operation, Innerspace Exploration Team was referred to the Everett Police Department via the Seattle Police Harbor Unit. I can’t express the department’s good fortune and gratitude to have a team of professionals of this caliber right here in the Pacific Northwest, our backyard.
Their website states:
“Innerspace Exploration Team was established in 1984 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation comprised of professionals from around the northwest. Together we work to improve the marine environment by removing derelict gear from our waters, educating the next generation, and assisting families in need who have lost a loved one to drowning.”
Back to this weekend:
The Everett Police located the boat on May 22, 2025, and since then the department sought arrangements to recover the vessel. We did not release the discovery to the public, yet did release this information to the victims’ families. This was done in order to preserve the scene. Since the discovery, our Everett Police Marine Unit worked very hard to coordinate a recovery operation.
On Saturday, May 31st, a plan was set into action. The boat was located upside down, at approximately 165ft. Two bodies were recovered from this depth. The ROV (remotely operated vehicle) checked the boat’s interior and was unable to locate the 3rd missing person. In order to do a more thorough check, the boat was lifted and towed into 35 ft waters, where our Everett Police Dive Team deployed and again checked the boat. The 3rd missing person was not located.
Essentially, the Seattle Police Harbor Unit provided the connection to Innerspace Exploration Team, and Pierce County Marine Operations provided their ROV which was ultimately used to recover the located bodies.
The individuals initially missing were the boat owner, a male in his 60s, and his son, who was in his 20s. The older male’s coworker, a female in her 40s, was also missing.
The male in his 60s and the female in her 40s were recovered. Their bodies were turned over to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The ultimate cause of the accident is still unknown.
Quote from Chief John DeRousse:
“We are grateful for the unwavering dedication and collaboration demonstrated by the Everett Police Marine Unit, Seattle Police Harbor Patrol, Pierce County Marine Operations, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Innerspace Exploration Team. The collective efforts of these organizations have brought a measure of solace to the grieving family by recovering two of the three missing individuals from the tragic incident in Possession Sound. While we continue to hope for the recovery of the third, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all involved for their commitment to this challenging mission. In addition, the initial response from the Everett Fire Department, South County Fire Authority, Port of Everett and the US Coast Guard played important roles in the early stages of this deployment, and gave the boating public reassurance that when emergencies occur on the water there is a large-scale collaborative response.”
Initial Story Post 05/21/2025: The call came in around 1 PM this afternoon of a boat taking on water in the area between Howarth and Harborview Park in Possession Sound west of Everett, Washington. A boater in the area reported they had rescued one person but three others were in the water with the boat going down. The U. S Coast Guard, Everett Police and Everett Fire immediately began location and rescue efforts. Additional help came from SCSO, Snohomish Fire and multiple other agencies. As of 5:30 PM, the 3 missing boaters had not been located and the search turned from rescue to recovery. Everett Police advised when rescuers first arrived on scene they located a 26 foot boat submerged with just the bow visible. They tried to bring the vessel to the surface but those efforts were unsuccessful and the boat disappeared under the water. The search now continues for the boat as well as two men, one in their 60s, the other in their 20s and a woman in her 50s. The one person who was rescued was a man in his 50s who was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover. Per Everett Police the four were reportedly out trying to catch shrimp when the boat began sinking. Here are some seen in Everett photos of the search. We’ll update when we have more information.
