The family and friends of the Enumclaw teen couple whose bodies were found in a Washington wild park mourn over their loss and held a vigil in their honor.
Austin Grote, 18, and his girlfriend, Aleecia McAskill, 17, had been missing since Saturday after they were last seen at 2:45 p.m. at a Safeway in Enumclaw. An extensive search involving volunteers, police, and family members ensued on Sunday. On Monday, Grote’s car was located near Mud Mountain Road, King County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the Associated Press.
Mark Grote, Austin’s father shared his gratitude on Facebook towards all those who helped with the search and for all the emotional support, The Seattle Times reported.
About a hundred people showed up at the vigil held on Wednesday in honor of the youths near the Mud Mountain Trail, where the two were believed to have headed off on their fateful trek.
“I think that we should honor them and try to bring back peace to this area that was once so loved and has now taken so much from us,” Taylor Wrolson, one of the organizers of the vigil said, according to K5 News. Another friend, Chantelle Foulk, said both Austin and Aleecia “cared about everyone.”
On Tuesday, their bodies were found near the Mud Mountain Dam on the White River.
“The area that they were located is upriver from the dam,” Sgt. Jason Stanley, King County Sheriff’s Office told Q13 Fox. “And therefore, the area that they were located could have been flooded at the time that they were down in that area. And only over the last day-and-a-half had the water started to recede enough to search that area.”
Earlier this morning KCSO and @KCSAR located a deceased male teen and deceased female teen. It is believed to be the missing hikers from Mud Mt Dam area.The official ID of the victims as well as cause of death will be determined by the ME’s Office, there is no sign of foul play. https://t.co/IwnTTSoUW4
— King County Sheriff’s Office PIO (@kingcosoPIO) February 4, 2020
Police suspect the teens might have been surprised by rising waters or by the nightly cold—or both. Reportedly, the two were not warmly dressed. One victim, Austin Grote, was found to have died of asphyxiation from drowning, the King County Medical Examiner’s office said Wednesday, The Seattle Times reported. No foul play is expected, but the investigation is ongoing.
