Account
Jun 20, 2016
May 26, 2023
Douglas
Foster
56
47
72 inches
185 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
On the evening of July 4, 2015, a day of celebration turned into a tragedy on the waters of Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington. Forty-seven-year-old Douglas W. Foster, a male from Portland, was enjoying the holiday on a 22-foot boat with three other people when their vessel was involved in a violent collision with a 17-foot aluminum boat. The force of the impact, which occurred around 11 p.m. near Point Defiance Park, threw Mr. Foster and his fellow passengers into the water as their boat capsized. While the operator of the boat and two other passengers were rescued from the bay, Mr. Foster could not be located. Immediate search and rescue operations were launched by the U.S. Coast Guard and Pierce County marine crews. Over the next fourteen hours, rescue teams scoured approximately 35 square miles of the bay in a desperate attempt to find Douglas Foster. Despite their extensive efforts, the search was ultimately suspended the following afternoon without any sign of the missing man. The two individuals in the other boat sustained serious injuries in the collision and were transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Authorities stated that they believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash. In the wake of the incident, the 44-year-old operator of the boat Mr. Foster was on, Joshua Puckett, was arrested. He was subsequently charged with watercraft homicide and watercraft assault, to which he pleaded not guilty. Following the accident, Douglas Foster was presumed to have died. The case remains a somber reminder of the potential dangers on the water. The disappearance of Douglas Foster stemmed from a sudden and chaotic event, a holiday boat outing that ended in a devastating collision. The subsequent search efforts were intensive but sadly unsuccessful in locating him, leaving a void of unanswered questions.
Jul 04, 2015
Tacoma
Washington
Pierce County
No
18449
Tacoma Police Department
Tacoma
Washington
Pierce County
98409
Jack Nasworthy
Police Detective
3701 South Pine Street, Washington
2535915950
Local
Law Enforcement
15-185-2160
2015-07-04
Tacoma Police Department
Unknown
Brown
Brown
06/15/2026
