Fisherman vanishes while at reservoir and hasn’t been seen in days, Washington cops say
UPDATE: Richard Smith’s body was found Oct. 13 in Potholes Reservoir, about 100 yards from where his tackle box was discovered on the shoreline, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The original story is below.
A 54-year-old angler set out to fish on a Washington reservoir but never returned home, deputies said.
He’s been missing for days.
Richard Smith went fishing Oct. 3 at Potholes Reservoir, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Moses Lake man’s truck was found at the end of an access road on the north shore of the reservoir, deputies said.
His 12-foot aluminum fishing boat was missing from the truck, and boat drag marks were visible going into the water, deputies said.
A couple of days later on Oct. 5, someone found his tackle box and a flotation device on the shoreline.
Search teams have looked for Smith with a drone, an aircraft and by boat, deputies said.
A sheriff’s patrol boat was sent out to continue searching the reservoir at about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7, deputies said.
Smith is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has hazel eyes and is bald with a white goatee. He was last seen wearing dark colored Adidas running pants.
He recently had knee surgery, “which is affecting his mobility,” deputies said.
His cellphone is dead, and authorities said there is no sign of foul play.
Anyone with information about Smith can call the sheriff’s office at 509-762-1160 and reference case number 24GS12378.
Potholes Reservoir is formed by the O’Sullivan Dam in Othello. It’s in southeastern Washington.
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Fisherman vanishes while at reservoir and hasn’t been seen in days, Washington cops say."
