The final victims of the implosion were recovered on Saturday, bringing relief and heartbreak alike to the town.
LONGVIEW, Wash. — Family, friends and community members in Longview gathered Saturday evening to mourn the 11 people killed in the catastrophic incident at Nippon Dynawave, as recovery efforts concluded with the discovery of the final victims.
For Patricia Kraff, the end of the search brought both relief and heartbreak. Her fiancé, Norman Barlow was one of the nine people unaccounted for after the implosion.
“I’ve been here since Tuesday, every day, hoping for him to come out alive,” Kraff said.
Those hopes ended Saturday when Barlow was identified as the last victim recovered from the site.
“I’m happy but my stomach hurts, because its reality now, you have that body,” Kraff said.
Kraff described Barlow, 58, as her high school sweetheart and a man known for his kindness and humor.
“He would do anything for you, and a great sense of humor. A wonderful man, a wonderful man,” she said.
Later Saturday, residents gathered at a community vigil honoring the 11 people who lost their lives in the disaster. Organizer Britney Brown said the event was intended to provide a space for grieving families and community members to come together in the wake of the tragedy.
“This is going to take decades to recover from in our community,” Brown said.
The loss has left many families facing an uncertain future. Kraff said she is now confronting life without the man she planned to spend it with.
“Now I’m going home to his cat, and I’m going home to a very empty place. And I can’t ever have the love I had with him because of what happened here.”
Brown said supporting those affected by the disaster will remain a priority for the community in the days, months and years ahead.
“We need to look out for each other and take care of these individuals as they grieve and nothing else really matters than that.” Brown explained.
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