Latest news with #CascadeMountains
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Manhunt for Travis Decker reaches day 8 with heavy law enforcement presence in the North Cascades
Saturday marks day eight in the search for Travis Decker. He is the Wenatchee man accused of kidnapping and killing his three young daughters. Authorities are focusing in on the Cascade Mountains. The Enchantments are shut down until further notice. As of Saturday afternoon, the National Guard is also joining the crews after emergency funding put in place by Governor Bob Ferguson. The search command center off Icicle Road is crawling with activity into the weekend as hundreds of law enforcement officers head into the mountains. Saturday morning was especially active as helicopters brought in dozens of crews from the Cascades and switched them out with new crews ready to get to work. Erik Hampton with East Cascade SWAT tells us they are heavily resourced and have the best of the best out there, but the steep terrain is not easy to search through. 'It's very steep it's very thick and it's big country there's a lot of it. There's a lot of ways in and out,' Hampton said. Icicle Road out of Leavenworth leads to dozens of trails and campgrounds. Normally on a hot June weekend, it's full of backpackers, hikers, and campers. Today, it's empty as the area is still shut down due to the search. 'We are hoping to exhaust this area for any sign of him we are not going to leave any stone unturned,' Hampton said. 'We are doing operations into the night, we have done them since Monday the same thing so we are working hard.' Federal, state, and local resources are flooding the Enchantments actively searching for Travis Decker. Right now, those resources include helicopters from Spokane, Chelan, and King County Sheriff's Offices along with the Coast Guard, National Guard, and Border Patrol. Deputies say there is also law enforcement officers and special teams from local, state, and federal resources combing every inch of the mountains. Hampton tells us they are also using special equipment to detect body heat levels as well. About 100 years away from the command center is Leavenworth Outdoor Center. The owner, David Johnson, said they have been listening to the helicopters fly just feet above their building since Tuesday. He tells us even the tourists know who Travis Decker is. 'Everyone seems to be bringing it up now, the first couple of days it was shocking and people weren't talking about it, but now it's all-over social media and customers are asking about it when they get here,' Johnson said. He tells us this is normally a packed area, but with the closure not that far down Icicle, it's been a bit slower. On Saturday, the closure turnaround spot was full of people who say they came out to hike but didn't realize they couldn't go back there. 'Well it is really disappointing I was really excited for this,' said Mayra Salgadl, a hiker trying to get to Colchuck Lake. Hampton said anyone they found inside the Okenagon Forest was asked to leave immediately. 'There were quite a few people when we started, I don't have an exact count for you on that, but it's blank in there right now,' Hampton said. He tells us that area takes a special expertise to look through properly. 'It's very steep, it's very thick and it's big country there's a lot of it. There's a lot of ways in and out,' Hampton said. But for those who live inside the search bubble, police are urging you to just call 911 if you think you see Decker. 'No do not approach, he is dangerous, he is a dangerous person,' Hampton said.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Campgrounds closed along Pacific Crest Trail in search for man wanted in daughters' deaths
Pictures, flowers and candles mark a makeshift memorial Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Wenatchee, Wash., in honor of Olivia, Paityn and Evelyn Decker, who were found dead near Leavenworth after their father Travis Decker failed to return them after a scheduled visitation. (Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times via AP) SEATTLE — Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters. Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls — 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker — were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth. The girls' mother reported them missing the night of May 30 when Decker failed to return them to her home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that there were more than 100 officers involved in the search, which covered rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington, and more than 500 tips had poured in from the public. 'Out of an abundance of caution, we have been given notice to, and are working in conjunction with our surrounding counties in the event Mr. Decker moves through the forest into their jurisdiction,' the statement said. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. 'He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better,' she wrote. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all. ... But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men, or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' Authorities warned people to be on the lookout for Decker and asked those with remote homes, cabins or outbuildings to keep them locked, to leave blinds open so law enforcement can see inside and to leave exterior lights on. It was unclear if Decker was armed, but the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said he should be considered dangerous. A reward of up to US$20,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest. An online fundraiser for Whitney Decker raised more than $1 million, and friends Amy Edwards, who taught the girls in a theater program called 'Short Shakespeareans,' and Mark Belton thanked supporters during a news conference Thursday. 'Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us,' Edwards said. 'They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts.' Edwards and Belton said Whitney Decker hopes the tragedy prompts changes to the state's Amber Alert system as well as improvements in mental health care for veterans. The night the girls were reported missing, Wenatchee police asked the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert but it declined, saying that as a custody matter without an imminent threat, the case did not meet the criteria for one. The patrol did issue an 'endangered missing person alert' the next day, but those do not result in notifications being sent to mobile phones. As searches expanded for the girls last weekend, a sheriff's deputy found Decker's pickup in the area of Rock Island Campground, northwest of Leavenworth. There were two bloody handprints on the tailgate. The girls' bodies were discovered down an embankment nearby with evidence that they had been bound with zip ties, according to an affidavit filed in support of murder and kidnapping charges against Decker. County Coroner Wayne Harris said Friday that his office was awaiting pathology results to determine when and how the girls were killed. Authorities issued closure notices the previous day for that camping area, which lies in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, as well as for a large swath of rugged territory to the north. That included trails and campgrounds along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, and around Stehekin, at the northern end of Lake Chelan. Gene Johnson, The Associated Press
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Campgrounds closed along Pacific Crest Trail in search for man wanted in daughters' deaths
Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters. Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls — 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker — were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth. The girls' mother reported them missing the night of May 30 when Decker failed to return them to her home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that there were more than 100 officers involved in the search, which covered rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington, and more than 500 tips had poured in from the public. 'Out of an abundance of caution, we have been given notice to, and are working in conjunction with our surrounding counties in the event Mr. Decker moves through the forest into their jurisdiction,' the statement said. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. 'He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better,' she wrote. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all. ... But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men, or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' Authorities warned people to be on the lookout for Decker and asked those with remote homes, cabins or outbuildings to keep them locked, to leave blinds open so law enforcement can see inside and to leave exterior lights on. It was unclear if Decker was armed, but the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said he should be considered dangerous. A reward of up to $20,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest. An online fundraiser for Whitney Decker raised more than $1 million, and friends Amy Edwards, who taught the girls in a theater program called 'Short Shakespeareans,' and Mark Belton thanked supporters during a news conference Thursday. 'Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us,' Edwards said. 'They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts.' Edwards and Belton said Whitney Decker hopes the tragedy prompts changes to the state's Amber Alert system as well as improvements in mental health care for veterans. The night the girls were reported missing, Wenatchee police asked the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert but it declined, saying that as a custody matter without an imminent threat, the case did not meet the criteria for one. The patrol did issue an 'endangered missing person alert' the next day, but those do not result in notifications being sent to mobile phones. As searches expanded for the girls last weekend, a sheriff's deputy found Decker's pickup in the area of Rock Island Campground, northwest of Leavenworth. There were two bloody handprints on the tailgate. The girls' bodies were discovered down an embankment nearby with evidence that they had been bound with zip ties, according to an affidavit filed in support of murder and kidnapping charges against Decker. County Coroner Wayne Harris said Friday that his office was awaiting pathology results to determine when and how the girls were killed. Authorities issued closure notices the previous day for that camping area, which lies in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, as well as for a large swath of rugged territory to the north. That included trails and campgrounds along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, and around Stehekin, at the northern end of Lake Chelan.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Campgrounds closed along Pacific Crest Trail in search for man wanted in daughters' deaths
SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters. Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls — 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker — were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth. The girls' mother reported them missing the night of May 30 when Decker failed to return them to her home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that there were more than 100 officers involved in the search, which covered rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington, and more than 500 tips had poured in from the public. 'Out of an abundance of caution, we have been given notice to, and are working in conjunction with our surrounding counties in the event Mr. Decker moves through the forest into their jurisdiction,' the statement said. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. 'He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better,' she wrote. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all. ... But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men, or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' Authorities warned people to be on the lookout for Decker and asked those with remote homes, cabins or outbuildings to keep them locked, to leave blinds open so law enforcement can see inside and to leave exterior lights on. It was unclear if Decker was armed, but the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said he should be considered dangerous. A reward of up to $20,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest. An online fundraiser for Whitney Decker raised more than $1 million, and friends Amy Edwards, who taught the girls in a theater program called 'Short Shakespeareans,' and Mark Belton thanked supporters during a news conference Thursday. 'Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us,' Edwards said. 'They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts.' Edwards and Belton said Whitney Decker hopes the tragedy prompts changes to the state's Amber Alert system as well as improvements in mental health care for veterans. The night the girls were reported missing, Wenatchee police asked the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert but it declined, saying that as a custody matter without an imminent threat, the case did not meet the criteria for one. The patrol did issue an 'endangered missing person alert' the next day, but those do not result in notifications being sent to mobile phones. As searches expanded for the girls last weekend, a sheriff's deputy found Decker's pickup in the area of Rock Island Campground, northwest of Leavenworth. There were two bloody handprints on the tailgate. The girls' bodies were discovered down an embankment nearby with evidence that they had been bound with zip ties, according to an affidavit filed in support of murder and kidnapping charges against Decker. County Coroner Wayne Harris said Friday that his office was awaiting pathology results to determine when and how the girls were killed. Authorities issued closure notices the previous day for that camping area, which lies in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, as well as for a large swath of rugged territory to the north. That included trails and campgrounds along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, and around Stehekin, at the northern end of Lake Chelan.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The day the sky darkened: Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State 45 years ago
On May 18, 1980, the United States experienced the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruption in its history. After more than two months of rumbling, Washington State's Mount St. Helens erupted with a force equivalent to as much as 50 megatons of TNT. The massive blast and subsequent landslides, flooding and ash cloud killed 57 people, caused more than $1 billion in damages, destroyed at least 200 homes and was heard more than 200 miles away. The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as much as 300 miles away to close. A massive wave of melted snow, ice, ash and pumice raced down the sides of the mountain, reaching up to 60 miles away and crushing homes, forests, bridges and roadways in its path. Once known as the Mt. Fuji of America, the eruption came after the majestic cone-shaped volcano had lain dormant for 123 years. The eruption, observed in detail by hundreds of geologists, volcanologists and ecologists, added immensely to human knowledge about vulcanism, a silver lining to the devastation it caused. It led to better preparation in volcanic areas, significant new scientific study and awareness of volcanic systems and the creation of five USGS volcano observatories in volcanically active portions of the United States – Alaska, California, the Cascade mountains (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) and Hawaii. Here's how the eruption unfolded: Scientists observed magma building inside the volcano, creating a visible bulge on its northern side. A series of small earthquakes began on March 16, reaching several hundred by the end of the month. On March 27, the volcano experienced its first major eruption since the mid-1800s. A steam explosion blasted a 250-foot wide crater through the ice cap on the summit, covering the snow-clad southeastern portion of the mountain with dark ash. A 15-miles radius around the area was evacuated and roadblocks put in place. By April 22, more than 10,000 earthquakes had occurred on the mountain and the northern flank bulged out by 450 feet, growing six-and-a-half feet per day, as molten magma rose up inside the volcano. At 8:32 a.m., a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook the mountain, setting off an enormous landslide on the volcano's northern flank. An estimated 3.3 billion cubic yards of material sloughed off the mountain, the largest debris avalanche in Earth's recorded history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. With the loss of all that material, the boiling, highly pressurized magma underneath was released. As NASA put it, "When the mountain collapsed, it was like uncorking a bottle of champagne: hot rocks, ash, gas, and steam exploded upward and outward to the north." Within 15 minutes, a cloud of tephra (ash, rocks and cooling magma) rose more than 15 miles into the atmosphere. The blast, avalanche and pyroclastic flows destroyed more than 230 square miles of forest. A total of 57 people died, most from asphyxiation after inhaling hot ash. They included locals who refused to leave despite warnings as well as residents, volcanologists and journalists who thought they were observing from a safe distance. Avalanches of hot ash, pumice and gas as well as volcanic mudflows from all the melted snow and ice spread for miles, destroying 27 bridges, more than 200 homes, 185 miles of roads and 15 miles of railway. River valleys were smothered and the path of the Toutle River was altered. To this day it remains full of sediment. The area was so completely devastated that when viewing it, then-President Jimmy Carter said, "Someone said this area looked like a moonscape. But the moon looks more like a golf course compared to what's up there." Communities hundreds of miles away were covered in ash from the eruption. The corrosive ash, composed of rock, mineral crystals and volcanic glass, snarled air travel, closed airports, shuttered schools and businesses and damaged machinery and automobiles. People wore bandanas over their mouths when outside to avoid breathing it in. When they tried to wash it off their cars, it scraped the paint. Within two weeks, the thinning ash cloud had circled the globe. A new lava dome, recorded by USGS and NASA, began to rise in the middle of the crater formed by the 1980 eruption. Earthquake activity renewed in September. Swarms of small earthquakes shook the mountain and small steam and ash explosions were observed in 2005. By 2008 millions of cubic yards of lava had erupted onto the crater floor, refilling about 7% of the crater. By the end of 2008 the mountain had once again calmed down. The aftermath of the 1980 eruption continued. Warm weather and melting snow led to a landslide of volcanic debris that washed out the Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge and damaged portions of State Road 504 in Washington, blocking access to the Johnson Ridge Observatory, which remains closed. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mount St. Helens erupted 45 years ago: Here's what happened
