Members of the Umatilla County Search and Rescue team search for Larry Rawe, 76, of Hermiston, May 23, 2024, in a basement sump filled with water in a grain elevator outside Helix. The team recovered Rawe's body late that afternoon after draining the sump.

HELIX — Searchers on Thursday, May 23, found the body of former Hermiston Airport manager Larry Rawe.

Rawe, 76, of Hermiston, went missing May 22, according to a press release from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office. He ran his own pest control business and left his residence that morning with an expectation he would return home in the afternoon. When he did not return, his wife called friends and they began looking.

They located his vehicle at the grain elevators off Juniper Canyon Road near Fergies Road outside Helix, the sheriff’s office reported, and then found his bait bucket inside one of the grain elevators, but they were not able to find him.

They noticed a closed trap door in the elevator that led to a basement sump filled with water, but still no sign of Rawe. According to the press release, they speculated Rawe might have fallen into the sump, but there was no evidence to indicate he had, and the trap door was closed. That afternoon, friends began searching the surrounding area, including with a privately owned helicopter.

After still no results, they called the sheriff’s office at approximately 9:30 p.m. Sheriff’s deputies responded, and the patrol sergeant on scene requested assistance from East Umatilla Fire and Rescue.

The fire department placed a man down onto a gangway in the sump area and probed into the water, but found nothing. Local hospitals were contacted to see if anyone had come in injured.

Again, with no results, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Umatilla County Search and Rescue was activated.

UMASAR set up an incident command and began a coordinated search of the area that lasted through the night. The search included ground searchers and a drone search using infrared. Additional searchers again descended into the gangway of the sump area and used a grappling hook to sweep the water in the area, and again turned up nothing.

A police K9 team also responded, and the dog used an article belonging to Rawe to follow a scent trail.

“In the morning, based on the overnight results, search coordinators determined that an attempt to drain the sump must be made,” the sheriff’s office reported. “This was complicated because there was a steady stream of water entering the sump area due to an aquifer.”

Late in the afternoon of May 23, searches found and recovered the body of Rawe.

Pump operations had to be continually maintained while searchers and fire units descended to the bottom of the sump for recovery.

“This was a very sad and difficult outcome,” the sheriff’s office expressed in the press release. “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family during this difficult time.”