CLE ELUM — A young Snohomish County firefighter’s body was found Monday evening on a cliffside near Cle Elum after he was reported missing following a solo hiking trip.
Marcus Carroll, 23, worked part time for both the North County Regional Fire Authority and Snohomish County Fire District 7. He lived in Redmond.
Carroll had been hiking at Peoh Point, south of Cle Elum. He was last heard from around 5 p.m. Saturday, according to a statement from the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office.
He was reported missing Sunday. His truck was found near the trail when the Kittitas County Search and Rescue team began looking for him. Crews found his body using a drone Monday evening. He was recovered the next morning, according to the sheriff’s office.
“On behalf of our first responders, our heartfelt thoughts are with the family and friends of Marcus Carroll,” Kittitas Sheriff Clayton Myers said in the statement. “We pray their anguish and grief will give way to acceptance and some level of peace.”
Carroll was hired by the North County Regional Fire Authority in September 2018 and by Fire District 7 in April 2019.
“He was a really good kid,” District 7 spokesperson Heather Chadwick said. “He had a great smile, and was energetic and always wanted to do a good job. It’s rough, it’s hard right now.”
Carroll had been putting in hard work to become a career firefighter. He always showed drive and compassion while on the job, his colleagues said in a news release.
“He has such a positive attitude and kindness that made everyone feel comfortable,” District 7 Chief Kevin O’Brien said. “He worked hard for our citizens to provide high quality service. He will be greatly missed by his Fire District 7 family.”
“He was an impressive young man who wanted to make a difference,” Assistant Chief Don Bartlett added. “The fire service and our public has lost a valued public servant.”
O’Brien and North County Regional Fire Authority Chief John Cermak asked the community to keep Carroll’s family with thoughts and prayers.
Herald writer Ben Watanabe contributed to this report.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
An earlier version of this story misstated Marcus Carroll’s age, following a statement from the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office. His age has been changed to reflect a news release from his employers.
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