Memorial to be held for Tulalip officer lost at sea

Published 3:12 pm Thursday, August 12, 2021

A memorial will be held next week for Charlie Joe Cortez, a Tulalip fish and wildlife officer who was lost in Puget Sound last November in the line of duty.

Cortez, 29, was on his way back from a call when waves capsized his patrol boat on Nov. 17, 2020. His body has yet to be found. He was a Tulalip Tribal member and was born and raised on the reservation.

“Charlie was a son, brother and father of two beautiful children,” says a news release from the Tulalip Tribes. “Please join us to honor his sacrifice and support his family.”

The memorial will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Avenue, Everett. The service is open to the public.

Beforehand, a procession will travel along the Everett waterfront, then head east on Hewitt and to the venue. People who want to view it are encouraged to find a spot by 11 a.m. along Marine View Drive, north of the naval station.

Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.