A 40-year-old Lakewood man who was on a fishing trip with his son died Saturday night from injuries suffered when he fell down a steep boulder field in the Wenatchee National Forest.
William E. Berry was dead when rescuers got to him about 3 a.m. Sunday, said Sgt. Kent Sisson of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. He fell near Loch Eileen, several miles southwest of the Nason Creek rest stop off U.S. 2.
Berry, who had been fishing with his 9-year-old son, fell at about 6 p.m.
“He knew he was badly injured and asked his son to get help,” Sisson said.
The boy had to hike about two miles before he encountered other hikers in the area of Lake Donald, Sisson said. One of those hikers then hiked to High Camp, an area of rental cabins, to get cell service and call for help.
“Our hero in this story is Finn, the 9-year-old, who scaled a high cliff and directed rescuers to the accident site,” Berry’s family said in a statement issued Monday.
Ten to 12 people, including deputies and hikers, searched for Berry, Sisson said. His body finally was brought out by helicopter.
Sisson said Berry and his son had been fishing at Lake Donald and ran into some people who told them that a quicker way to get back to their base at High Camp was through the Loch Eileen area. Berry and his son then ended up in the boulder field above Loch Eileen.
The two were traversing a steep area when the father lost his footing and tumbled about 300 feet.
Berry grew up in Ferndale, where he attended Ferndale High School, his brother, Jason Berry, told The News Tribune. He worked as an engineer at Intel Corp. in DuPont. He is survived by his wife, Wendy Anneke Berry, and the couple’s four children.
“The Berry family would like to express with great gratitude the wonderful support the community has already provided,” the family said in a statement. “No decisions have been made regarding Will’s funeral. We will be setting up a benevolence fund in Will’s name for the children’s benefit in the near future.”
Staff writer Adam Lynn contributed to this report.
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