Body at Tahlequah dock identified

Death has been officially ruled as a suicide.

By Paul Rowley • October 23, 2019 1:30 am
The Chetzemoka at the Tahlequah Ferry Terminal (File Photo).
The Chetzemoka at the Tahlequah Ferry Terminal (File Photo).

The body of a man spotted in the water near the Tahlequah Dock on the afternoon of Oct. 11 has been identified.

Jeff Polanco, an investigator for the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, said that 51-year-old George McQueen died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries due to a fall from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. His death has been officially ruled as a suicide.

McQueen’s body was initially seen by crewmembers of the ferry Chetzemoka. They then launched a rescue boat to respond to the scene before informing Tacoma law enforcement. A search and rescue operation delayed several sailings between Point Defiance and Tahlequah.