Snohomish County relatives anxious for news of relative missing in Haiti

Published 11:34 pm Monday, January 18, 2010

EVERETT — The last time anyone heard from Jim Birch was about noon Jan. 12.

He called his wife in California and told her he’d reached the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince safely.

Just two hours later, the city lay in ruins after a devastating earthquake, killing tens of thousands and injuring countless others.

Now, Joe Blakeney, 44, of Everett is worried sick about his brother-in law.

Originally from Tacoma, Birch, 50, has a lot of family in Snohomish County, all doing whatever they can to get information.

“We are still very hopeful,” Blakeney said on Monday. The missing man is married to Blakeney’s sister.

Birch went to Haiti on a business trip with his company, which builds sports courts for children.

Two other men who were in Haiti with Birch are missing as well.

Birch was staying at the Hotel Montana. His family believes he was there when the quake hit. The building collapsed.

Blakeney and his wife have been spending hours on the social Web site Facebook, where a special group has been set up for relatives of those believed to have been at the same hotel. They are hoping to learn something through other families.

“It’s a lifeline. Being on there, it feels like we are doing something,” Blakeney said.

Talking with authorities has left him and other relatives frustrated. Americans with loved ones missing in Haiti are being referred to a phone line set up by the U.S. Department of State. Blakeney hasn’t been able to reach a live person in some time now. Other government agencies just reroute him back to the same number.

Blakeney said he understands the government agencies are scrambling, but sharing whatever little they know is helping family members keep their sanity.

“The families need this information,” he said.

Blakeney wants to go to Haiti himself to help, but government officials told him he will not be allowed in the country.

“That’s it. We are just at the grace of the searchers,” he said.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.