Longview Paper Mill Explosion: All 11 Victims Recovered After Deadly Blast

A Final Accounting of the Missing

The somber milestone arrived five days after the initial disaster, when a tank containing 600,000 gallons of white liquor—a corrosive chemical mixture used to break down wood pulp—ruptured during a shift change. Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig confirmed the recovery of the final victim on Saturday afternoon, bringing a definitive, albeit tragic, end to the search operation.

“Today, on day five of this incident, I can share that we have recovered the ninth and final missing employee of this incident,” Hannig said during a press conference reported by NBC News. The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office subsequently verified the identities of all individuals involved. Coroner Dana Tucker stated, “As of this afternoon, our office has recovered and identified all nine missing individuals,” according to KATU News.

The recovery effort, which transitioned from a search-and-rescue operation to a recovery mission within hours of the May 26 blast, involved specialized teams working in shifts around the clock. The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, which led the coordination of the multi-agency response, confirmed that the structural instability of the remaining tank segments hampered initial entry. According to Sheriff Brad Thurman, the decision to proceed was guided by the need to balance the safety of recovery personnel with the urgent necessity of returning the victims to their families.

• Gilbert Bernal, 52, of Kelso
• Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock
• Brad Covington, 27, of Castle Rock
• Robert Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie, Oregon
• Dale Miller, 54, of Portland
• Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview
• Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet
• Clinton Doran, 26, of Kelso
• John Forsberg, 51, of Longview
• Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver
• Dillon Miller (age undisclosed)

The Hazards of the Recovery Mission

The scene at the Nippon Dynawave facility presented extreme obstacles for emergency responders. Because the site remained an active and hazardous environment for much of the week, recovery teams were forced to move cautiously through debris while navigating the lingering risks of the industrial chemical spill.

For more on this story, see Longview Paper Mill Chemical Explosion Causes Multiple Injuries, At Least One Death.

“It was physically laborious work, it was very difficult, there was heavy items to be moved, and they had to continuously inspect the area.”

Cowlitz County Emergency Management Director Sarah Stitch further characterized the ordeal as “a horrific tragedy” that has deeply affected the local community. The recovery process required a multi-agency effort, involving contractors and specialists from the Washington National Guard, who were responsible for the decontamination of human remains before they could be transported to the coroner’s office for formal identification and family notification. The National Guard provided thermal imaging equipment and specialized hazardous materials suits, which were essential for teams navigating the caustic residue left by the tank failure.

The site, located along the Columbia River, presented unique logistical challenges due to the chemical composition of the spill. According to the Longview Fire Department, the white liquor created a slick, highly alkaline environment that necessitated the use of specialized protective gear. Recovery teams from regional industrial response units were brought in to stabilize the wreckage, ensuring that secondary collapses did not occur while personnel were beneath the debris. The operation was periodically suspended when air quality monitors detected fluctuations in chemical vapors, requiring teams to retreat until ventilation could be improved.

Environmental and Investigative Stakes

While the recovery of the victims is complete, the site remains under intense scrutiny. Beyond the loss of life, the rupture of the tank—which was designed to hold 900,000 gallons—raised immediate alarms regarding the surrounding environment. The white liquor, a potent mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide, and disodium carbonate, spilled into nearby areas, including drainage systems connected to the Columbia River.

Officials have worked to mitigate the impact of the spill, including the dilution of contaminated water in local ditches. While concerns were raised about the proximity of the spill to an aquifer and well field, authorities maintained that the city’s drinking water remained safe after contaminated runoff was successfully diverted. Despite these assurances, reports of dead fish near the site’s spillways suggest that the ecological consequences of the event are still being assessed by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Department of Ecology has deployed water-quality monitoring stations along the riverbank to track the pH levels of the water, which spiked following the initial release.

The focus now shifts toward determining the mechanical and procedural failures that led to the implosion. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is poised to begin a formal investigation now that the site has been cleared of victims. CSB investigators arrived on-site Sunday to begin the process of logging evidence and interviewing plant management. The board is tasked with analyzing the tank’s maintenance records, the integrity of the steel welds, and the inspection history conducted by third-party contractors prior to the failure.

For the workers and the families mourning, the investigation serves as the next critical step in understanding how such a catastrophic failure occurred at a facility designed for industrial safety. Nippon Dynawave, in a statement provided to local media, indicated that they are fully cooperating with both state and federal authorities, including the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, which has launched its own investigation into workplace safety violations. The plant remains under a mandatory shutdown order issued by the state while the structural integrity of other tanks on the premises is evaluated.

“This is a horrific tragedy that has profoundly impacted our community, and we appreciate the public’s continued passion and support.”

Local faith leaders and community organizations have set up counseling centers in Longview to support the families of the victims and the surviving plant staff. Cowlitz County Commissioner Arne Mortensen noted that the sheer scale of the incident has necessitated a coordinated mental health response from neighboring counties. As of Monday, the facility remains cordoned off with security personnel restricting access to all but the primary investigative teams, as the long-term remediation of the soil and drainage systems continues.