Thurston Co. WA Explorer Search and Rescue

Go time! Come out and support future SAR efforts in Thurston County, now through July 4. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and your business this week will help the team with equipment purchases, travel expenses, and new training opportunities. Come on out to Steamboat Island Square!

Come out and support your local volunteer Search and Rescue team! We are excited to bring back the fine tradition of the annual TCWESAR Fireworks Sale this year, open from June 28 through July 4 at Steamboat Island Square. We’ll have all your favorites for purchase, plus opportunities to find out how you can get involved. Come see us!

Registration is open!

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026 Pacific Northwest Search & Rescue Conference!

We are excited to officially welcome attendees from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond to join us October 30 – November 1, 2026 at the beautiful Cascade Camp & Conference Center in Yelm, Washington!

This year’s conference will bring together:
-Search & Rescue Volunteers
-Law Enforcement
-Firefighters
-Medical Providers
-Emergency Workers
-Outdoor Leaders
-Technical Rescue Personnel
…and many more from across the SAR community.

Attendees can expect:
✅ Hands-on and classroom-based training
✅ Expert instructors from around the region
✅ Networking with SAR professionals and volunteers
✅ Vendor expo and equipment demonstrations
✅ Lodging and meals included with conference registration
✅ Specialized courses covering search management, technical rescue, medical topics, search planning, field operations, leadership development, and more

Lodging is summer camp style with shared sleeping areas assigned by unit/team. Limited RV and tent camping spots are also available. There are passes available without lodging as well for our more local folks.

Prices increase July 1st — register early to secure your spot!

Registration:
https://www.pnwsarconference.com/registration

Conference Website:
https://www.pnwsarconference.com/

We cannot wait to bring the SAR community together for an incredible weekend of training, collaboration, and professional development.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post!

"Meadows Man" .....
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On April 30, 2009, skeletal remains were found in a field near Meadows Elementary School.

A man—unknown. Unnamed. Unclaimed by time.

What was left behind told a small story: Levi’s jeans, boxer shorts, and knee-high white athletic socks with a green Nike logo. That was it. No identity. No answers.

He was entered into National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as UP8888. A number where a name should have been.

Years passed.

A DNA profile was created and run through Combined DNA Index System resulting in nothing coming back. Answers still unknown.

Then in 2025, the case was revisited by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office and the King County Medical Examiner's Office using advanced forensic DNA methods and genetic genealogy. Funding support from Bob Ferguson, Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature helped make that work possible.

And finally… the silence broke.

He has been identified as Donald Myrel Nelson. Born April 18, 1960. Missing since February 1989, just weeks before his 29th birthday.

Thirty-five years gone without answers.

His family now has his name back. But they still deserve the truth of what happened to him.

This case is still active. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit continues to investigate his death.

If you know anything—no matter how small it feels—please speak up:
Email: [email protected]
Case #: 09-002677

Somewhere, someone knows a piece of this story.

And Donald deserves every last one of them to come forward.

Great job team! We were able to contribute a robust team of twelve! Thank you to our lovely Soup Lady! She made a wonderful tortellini and meatball soup for our tired crew!
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