Missing man may have fallen into Elk Creek when bluff gave way

Published 6:11 pm Wednesday, July 6, 2011

SULTAN — A 37-year-old Edmonds man who went camping over the July 4 holiday weekend near Boulder Lake may have accidentally fallen into a creek near his campsite, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.

Michael Antonelli left to go camping Saturday with his dog and was supposed to return Monday evening, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said. When he didn’t return, his girlfriend called 911.

On Tuesday deputies found his campsite near the Boulder Lake trailhead a few miles east of Spada Lake. He had pitched his tent just a few feet away from a 20-foot drop-off leading to Elk Creek below.

“This looks like a freak accident,” Hover said.

Deputies examined the campsite and found evidence to suggest Antonelli got too close to the edge of the site and the ground gave way underneath him, likely causing him to fall into the creek.

“It’s running high and fast right now like most rivers,” Hover said.

While deputies can’t say for certain what happened to Antonelli, at this time it appears he probably fell in the creek and died, Hover said. His body has not been found.

There are no plans to continue searching for Antonelli, except for sending the sheriff’s office helicopter up in the next few days to see if he can be spotted in the creek.

“It’s an area where we don’t get many search-and-rescue calls,” Hover said.

Deputies didn’t find any sign of Antonelli’s dog, a 5-year-old Catahoula leopard hound named Katie.

Antonelli is described as white, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.