Search suspended for man missing in Puyallup River; family vows to keep looking
Sumner police have suspended the search for a Tacoma man who fell into the Puyallup River on Monday, the city announced on Twitter.
The 46-year-old man fell into the river about 5:15 p.m. Monday east of the confluence of the Puyallup and White rivers.
The man was identified as Lorenzo Perez by his daughter Amber Budzynski, 27.
Perez was fishing with Budzynski’s youngest brother and youngest sister near the Sumner Link Trail when he slipped and fell into the Puyallup River’s currents, she said Wednesday evening.
“My dad, being kind of a man’s man, he didn’t think to put on a life jacket or anything,” Budzynski said. “You don’t think about freak accidents like that.”
The Perez family has not given up hope, she said, but they are also seeking closure.
The family moved to Washington when Perez took a job with Boeing in Everett, then moved to the Tacoma area about 20 years ago.
“My dad is a strong man,” Budzynski said. “He’s always been a tough guy. He always shows his love to us, but he never shows weakness.
“He never really cried in front of us. He’s a fighter.”
Budzynski lives in North Carolina, where her husband is stationed in the military, so she is imploring people who know the river well to keep an eye out for Perez.
“I just want people to know that we have faith still, and they haven’t found anything,” Budzynski said. “We’re believing in a miracle and, whether it be good or bad, we need closure.”
Search crews looked for Perez for parts of three days but were unable to find him.
Perez will now be considered a missing person, city spokeswoman Carmen Palmer said.
“This isn’t just closing the book, it’s closing the swiftwater rescue portion,” Palmer said.
Rescue crews from Puyallup, Sumner, Pierce County, and Central Pierce and East Pierce fire departments helped to search for Perez. The Coast Guard also dispatched a helicopter to search for him.
Kenny Ocker: 253-597-8627, @KennyOcker
This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Search suspended for man missing in Puyallup River; family vows to keep looking."