West Seattle, Washington
30 Wednesday
8:30 PM: For the second time today, Seattle Fire sent a water-rescue response to the waters off Fauntleroy – this time to the Lincoln Park vicinity, after a report of a person in the water in trouble. SFD says “the patient was rescued from the water by a civilian vessel. A fire boat now has the patient and is bringing them to shore to be evaluated.”
ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: We’re still waiting for followup information from SFD, but meanwhile, we listened back to archived incident audio; an Argosy Cruises boat picked up the person, who was then transferred to the fireboat. No hint of circumstances or whether this had any link to the earlier incident; we hope to know more this morning.
9:59 AM: SFD tells us the person rescued is a 65-year-old man who had been paddleboarding. After SFD brought him to shore, he was taken to a hospital via AMR ambulance. And below are more details from a commenter identifying themselves as the captain of the Argosy boat that rescued him.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Since Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones decided not to go public with an expected list of school closures/consolidations until September, it’s become a summer of waiting, and dreading, for many involved with the district – staff, students, families. One SPS employee in attendance at School Board Director Gina Topp‘s monthly community-conversation meeting, seeing coworkers and students at summer school, described it as “waiting for a giant hammer to fall.”
Anticipation of, and concern about, what’ll be in the proposal dominated Topp’s meeting, held online a week ago (she switches up formats, locations, days, and dayparts in hopes of increasing accessibility). The director herself, in her first year on the board, representing a district including West Seattle and most of South Park, repeatedly described herself as “disappointed” in the delay, particularly because it will result in a condensed public process between the time the announcement is made and the time the board will have to vote on any closures to take effect in the ’25-’26 school year.
Topp started the meeting with a few updates, including the board’s recent vote to finalize the budget for next school year.
A 22-year-old man is in the King County Jail for the ninth time in nine months after his arrest early today following a short-lived fire-engine theft in West Seattle. According to information we’ve obtained from SFD and SPD, an SFD engine was on a medical call at the Arrowhead Gardens senior-living complex, dispatched just after 3 am, when “a witness called regarding a man that reportedly rode a scooter up to a Fire Engine, entered it, and drove away with lights and sirens activated.” He didn’t get far, police say: “After starting the vehicle, (the thief) failed to deactivate the parking brake and was only able to drive around the corner.” Police arrested the suspect a short time later. SFD adds, “The engine was quickly returned to the crew, and the patient received the care they needed.” (The SFD incident log shows it would have been South Park-based Engine 26.) The suspect was booked into jail for investigation of vehicle theft. The jail log shows he has eight previous bookings dating back to last October – most ranging from two to five days at a time, except for the most recent, from June 20th to July 1st, related to two stolen-vehicle cases in which he was charged last year; we haven’t dug through the case-specific documents yet but both of those cases appear to be still making their way through the system, with hearings in early August. Court files do not appear to show any felony convictions on his record.
That’s one of the photos Tom Trulin sent last week, showing significant progress on the years-overdue rebuild of the Lincoln Park South Play Area. When we published an update last week, Seattle Parks told us they hoped to have more information “early (this) week” on when the playground would open. So we asked for an update, and received this reply: “The play area is still anticipated to be completed by the end of the month – no set date for opening.” (The month ends one week from today.) It’s been closed for seven years.
From Josh:
The Dakota building along California Ave (4116 California Ave SW) had a break-in this weekend. They took our garage door off the tracks and broke three of our doors. There were four suspects and their license plate was captured. They broke into a car, an electrical room and stole items.
According to a summary that Josh forwarded, compiled by building management, this likely started around 4:45 am Sunday:
Camera in lobby shows Suspect #1 enter the lobby via the elevator at 0454. He walks to the door from the lobby to the garage, sets down his backpack and takes out a 24-30 nch bar. Uses the bar to wrench open the door handle. The door did not unlock. He picks up an Amazon package from a counter in the lobby and exits via the front doors at about 0456.
Camera in alley shows Suspect #1 walking SB in the alley from north of the building at 0500. At 0501 he uses something, possibly same tool, to pry the garage gate off its track far enough to squeeze through. He prowls around the garage for several minutes … During this time he probably used his bar to wrench open the door to the electrical room. The contents of the Amazon package were opened and left on top of a cart in a bicycle storage area. A bicycle from that area was moved to a parking space about 20 feet away.
One burglar then was shown checking car doors and opening a resident’s car trunk before going through some items stored in another parking space, subsequently carrying two totes into the garbage room and rummaging through them.
Suspect #1 left via the garbage room double doors at 0515 and walked SB toward SW Genesee St. Suspect #1 Description: Black or Hispanic Male; 20’s to 30’s; average build. Wearing gray pants and a gray hoodie with “All Hustle No Handouts” on the front. Carried a blue or black backpack.
Josh says managers are still working on providing the video but did circulate this image of that burglar:
Video also shows a car associated with the three other suspects, “a silver or gray compact, possibly a Hyundai,” license CLE2—. They are described as:.
Suspect #2; White or Hispanic Male; 30’s; average build. Wearing gray pants and dark gray hoodie and black baseball hat; white sneakers. Does not appear to be the original suspect (#1).
Suspect #3; Unknown race male or female; heavy set; orange puffy coat over a white shirt, blue pants.
Suspect #4; White male; Very long ponytail; heavy set, but not nearly as much as #3; wearing mask; dressed in greenish jumpsuit with patches visible.
They’re still assessing what was stolen. If you have any information, SPD case number is 24-201737.
(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Stewart L.)
Here’s our list of what’s happening today/tonight in West Seattle and vicinity, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FOOD DRIVE: The almost-daily summer food-donation drive continues at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill) – you can drop off nonperishable items until noon.
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS: Five locations and varying times in West Seattle – here’s the list.
FISHER SCONE WAGON: Back in the area – right now, at McLendon Hardware in White Center (10210 16th SW) until 3 pm.
TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
SPRAYPARK: Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open every day, 11 am-8 pm, free.
COLMAN POOL: The season continues for the outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, the 7-day-a-week wading pool is open noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.
DELRIDGE WADING POOL: Also open today, next to Delridge Community Center, noon-5:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
END-OF-LIFE PLANNING WORKSHOP: 2-3:30 pm, at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW):
Talking about the final chapter of your life has many benefits. One of the most helpful is understanding how to ensure the choices made about your health and quality of life are yours.
Join the team from Worry-Free Wednesdays to learn the four things you can do to ensure the end-of-life decisions you want made for yourself or your loved ones are well-documented and communicated.
They’ll show you how to build an end-of-life plan and then how to share it and update it once a year on a Wednesday of your choosing, living worry-free knowing your “house is in order” before you die.
Free; no RSVP needed.
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
FREE GROUP RUNS: You’re welcome on the weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run, which welcomes all levels – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.
TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).
WHITE CENTER PROJECT MEETING: As previewed here, King County Road Services has a community meeting at 6:30 pm to talk about designs for the 16th SW rechannelization project, at the White Center Food Bank HQ (10016 16th SW). You also can participate online – the link is here.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
YOGA IN THE PARK: Two West Seattle teachers lead Wednesday night outdoor-yoga events at Myrtle Reservoir Park (35th/Myrtle), 6:30 pm – follow the link for ticket info.
OUTDOOR YOGA AND MORE: Outdoor Kundalini Yoga, Breath Work, Meditation and Gong Bath, 7 pm at Solstice Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW), ticket info in our calendar listing.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: Your turn for the spotlight! 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Planning a show, presentation, meeting, open house, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., that’s open to the community? Please send us info so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! we*************@***il.com – thank you!
A unique outdoor volunteering opportunity is open at Camp Long – you are invited to join the park’s Climbing Corps, helping more people enjoy its historic Schurman Rock! From Camp Long’s Matt Kostle:
We need folks to volunteer as part of our new Camp Long Climbing Corps program! This is an opportunity to get trained in the skill of belaying folks on a top rope rock climbing setup so you can help with our Tuesday Rocks series of free and open to the public rock climbing events on Tuesday evenings in August!
No prior experience is needed and this is an opportunity to volunteer supporting a really fun program which is often many kids’ first climbing experience and you can help them enjoy the magic that Schurman is as the oldest human-made rock climbing wall in the country! This is a new pilot program and we are hoping this allows us to expand our programming but we need community support to make it happen! Come be part of the Camp Long community and help others climb on a piece of history!
A training session for volunteers is planned next Tuesday (July 30). Sign up here!
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, July 24.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Sunny today, high in the mid-70s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:37 am, while sunset will be at 8:53 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES, WITH METRO FLEX
Metro Flex – Third day for this on-demand service in Delridge, starting a two-year pilot. Here’s how it works.
Metro buses – Regular schedules; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, and the unscheduled third boat may be back. Check that link before you sail.
ROAD WORK
*The Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project is about to start, first with overnight lane closures, then with several all-weekend one-direction closures. Here’s the announcement.
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project is in progress. Fairmount Avenue is closed under the bridge for the duration of the project, likely into early 2025.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (West Seattle Bridge cameras are back but some others remain out)
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:
Low bridge: Here’s the main view:
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
1st Avenue South Bridge:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
3:43 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a water-rescue response by land and sea off the 9200 block of Fauntleroy Way SW, south of the ferry dock [map], and a search is under way. Police are assisting. Updates to come.
3:52 AM: SFD says this started after “a caller heard splashing and someone yell for help.” Neither the caller, nor the personnel on scene so far (including rescue swimmers and boat crews), has seen anyone in distress, though.
3:59 AM: According to dispatch, the U.S. Coast Guard is sending a helicopter to help look.
4:03 AM: The incident commander has told responders that since it’s been more than half an hour since the original report (the dispatch was at 3:21 am), they’re switching to “recovery mode,” so divers and rescue swimmers are ceasing their active searching in the water.
4:11 AM: With no sign of anyone in the water, responders are wrapping up the search and apparently canceling the request for USCG help too. A boat crew did find some clothing on a “small swim dock,” though, but nothing to indicate it was placed there recently.
9:31 AM: As a commenter points out, a USCG helicopter is out there now, and flight trackers show it’s been looping over the area. The Coast Guard does not have helicopters based in the immediate area; this one came from Port Angeles.
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