Missing man Dan Toya victim of drowning
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 13 years, 8 months AGO
64-year-old Dan Toya was found dead on Monday, March 26.
MOSES LAKE – Dan Toya, the Moses Lake man reported missing since Dec. 23, was found dead on Monday, March 26, and it appears loyalty to his golden retriever Molly cost him his life.
In the end, Molly, who was found dead the previous day at the Potholes Reservoir, led search and rescue workers to her master's body.
Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones had confirmed on Sunday, March 25, that Molly's body was found in Potholes Reservoir that day. That led to a search for Toya in the same area.
Toya, 64, went missing Dec. 23 after taking Molly to a local veterinarian. It is theorized that Toya then took Molly for a walk near Samson’s Beach along the north shore of Potholes Reservoir.
Toya’s pickup truck was found later that day locked an undisturbed at Samson’s Beach, but searchers were unable to find Toya or Molly. Subsequent searches over the next three months yielded no further clues.
Around 1 p.m. on March 25, a friend of Toya’s was walking along Samson’s Beach when he discovered the body of a golden retriever floating in the reservoir. The dog’s body was recovered, and a scan of an imbedded microchip confirmed the dog was Molly.
On Monday, March 26, a new search was launched, and Toya was found. Sheriff Tom Jones surmised that, on Dec. 23, Molly went out on the reservoir's ice and that Toya broke through ice while attempting to rescue her.
Toya's body was found near the north shore west of Samson’s Beach. Franklin County’s remote controlled underwater robot found the body about 4 p.m. Grant County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue divers recovered the body shortly thereafter.
There were no obvious signs of external trauma or foul play, and evidence suggests Toya died after accidentally falling through the ice, Jones said.
On March 27, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison confirmed the body found on March 26 was Toya's.
“I am so sorry for Dan’s family and friends,” Jones said. “I hope this discovery brings them closure to a long three months of uncertainty. Dan was such a blessing in the lives of his loved ones, and I pray his family and friends find peace."