"Soul Salmon" sculpture stolen from park in Tacoma

TACOMA — Big fish get away all the time, but Scott Hansen of the Puget Creek Restoration Association suspects this one had some help.

Sometime between 1:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 a.m. Monday, "Soul Salmon," a 7-foot fiberglass sculpture worth about $10,000, vanished from its mounting in Puget Gardens, Hansen told The News Tribune.

The depiction of a spawning coho salmon was made by four Tacoma School of the Arts students, blessed by a member of the Puyallup Tribe in a special ceremony and acquired by the association in October with the aid of a $3,400 city grant.

It was fastened to a pedestal with a half-inch bolt and probably would have taken at least two people and pickup to remove, Hansen said.

"It's not that heavy, but it's very awkward to handle," he said.

Police had no comment Monday because officers had not received a formal report.

Officer Mark W. Fulghum said officers tried to contact Hansen at least twice without success after he called, nor was he at the park when an officer arrived about midday. Hansen said he got tired of waiting.