Missing man found dead in Hood Canal, deputies say

First responders recovered a body of a missing Tacoma man seen floating Thursday afternoon in the Hood Canal.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said a call came into 911 about 11:43 a.m. from a resident at Frenchmans Cove Lane Northwest in Seabeck regarding a rowboat that was adrift.

A registration check revealed the boat belonged to the Tacoma man, later identified as Douglas Gant, 77, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Office said deputies were also called for a welfare check at a home in the 19900 block of Hood Point Road Northwest. It was requested by family members of Gant via Coast Guard Puget Sound.

When deputies arrived at the home about 12:30 p.m., they found it was empty, and then requested a Coast Guard helicopter search.

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Gant’s family advised deputies that he would use a rowboat to row out to his Campion boat that was moored to a buoy offshore.

Within an hour, search crews from several agencies arrived to help find Gant using patrol boats, officials said.

Officials said at approximately 2:20 p.m., people aboard a sailboat alerted authorities that they had seen a body floating in the Hood Canal.

Gant’s body was recovered and handed over to the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office, law enforcement said.

An autopsy is expected Monday to determine the cause and manner of death.

The Sheriff’s Office said foul play is not suspected in Gant’s death.

Cox Media Group