Woman’s body found in Whatcom County pond near U.S.-Canada border
The body of a 29-year-old woman from Ellensburg was located Wednesday in a pond near the U.S.-Canadian border by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol and search and rescue volunteers.
There were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play at the scene, according to a sheriff’s office news release Thursday on the body being found. The woman’s identity was not released.
Deputies responded at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 16, to the 3000 block of H Street east of Blaine for the report of the missing woman, according to the release. The woman had been reported missing from her parent’s home in Blaine after she had shown up unexpectedly the night before.
Family members were unable to locate her Tuesday morning, and decided to report her missing.
A preliminary search by deputies, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Search and Rescue K-9 and a drone was unsuccessful Tuesday, according to the release, and no evidence of an assault or abduction was found at the time.
On Wednesday morning, March 17, Whatcom County Search and Rescue returned and began a land search, according to the release. They found several of the victim’s clothing items near a pond.
The sheriff’s office, Border Patrol and other search and rescue volunteers responded to the pond area, the release states, and a drone was able to locate the woman’s body in the pond. She was recovered by search and rescue personnel.
The woman’s body has been turned over to the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s officer for a pending autopsy, according to the release.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 3:45 PM.
