Search Halted As Hope Of Finding Second Missing Fisherman Fades -- Tulalip Community Mourns Loss Of Pair

They searched the dark waters for several hours - Coast Guard vessels, Snohomish and Island county sheriff's patrol boats and a flock of fishing boats - looking for any sign of two Tulalip fishermen.

About 8 a.m. yesterday, they found the body of one, Gregory Williams, floating a mile off Warm Beach, northeast of Marysville, a fishing buoy tied around his waist.

"We drove right past the area around 5:30 a.m., and we just missed him," said Dave Williams, no relation but one of the handful of boat owners docked at the Tulalip Marina who joined the search just after 4 a.m.

"The longer it was that we couldn't find them, the worse it looked."

Forty minutes later, Coast Guard officers discovered Williams' 16-foot boat partly submerged a mile from where his body was spotted. Snohomish County sheriff's divers hunted for his fishing partner, 26-year-old Ryan Williams, for an hour. Coast Guard officials called off the search at 3:20 yesterday afternoon.

"The search was suspended because the possibility of him surviving was down to zero," said Shelly Freier, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, noting that the water temperature was about 50 to 53 degrees.

No one is sure what went wrong after the two men set out Wednesday afternoon. They were last seen about 3 p.m. and were due to return to the Tulalip Marina at 6 p.m. When they didn't show up, family began to worry. Friends reported the two missing shortly after midnight.

The men had life jackets and flares on board, as well as a cellular phone and a citizens-band radio. But they did not respond to calls, Coast Guard officials said. Dave Williams said that Gregory Williams' boat had broken down a few times in the past month. The boat's motor could have died, and the men could have had difficulty turning the small open boat in choppy waters, he guessed.

As hope dimmed of finding Ryan Williams, news of Gregory Williams' death spread quickly among the close-knit community on the Tulalip Reservation. Gregory Williams, 38, was the brother of Tulalip Tribal Chairman Herman Williams Jr. The Tulalip leader reportedly was on the fishing boat that discovered the body, said John McCoy, the tribe's executive director of governmental affairs.

Ryan Williams, Gregory's distant relative, has two young daughters, McCoy said. He lives on the reservation and has worked at the Tulalip Casino as a customer-service representative and valet. He also worked as a beer vendor at Safeco Field. His parents waited on the docks much of the day yesterday, McCoy said.

Friends knew Gregory Williams as a gentle spirit, someone who was always looking out for others. He fished part time and managed the valets at the tribal casino, McCoy said. Several years ago, Williams, who lived on Camano Island, served as director of recreation for the tribe, overseeing several youth and adult programs. And he was a doting father who, with his wife, Darcy, was raising a son and daughter, ages 11 and 8.

"He knew the different ways to cook fish and always took care of the people," said Leota Pablo, minister of the Indian Full Gospel Shaker Church. "He was a well-mannered little boy because his dad was on the board of directors. It's something that has touched all of our people."

When Sheryl Fryberg learned of Williams' death, she was stunned. Fryberg, now Indian Education Coordinator for the Marysville School District, had worked with Williams while he had been director of recreation. They had known each other from childhood. She was in a state of disbelief, she said.

"He had a real sweet spirit," Fryberg said. "He was a good friend and a good man. . . . He was always talking about how things should be fair for all people. So when he managed the services, he wanted to make sure everyone had a fair opportunity."