A Woodland man reported missing Tuesday morning has been found dead, according to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.
The body of Enrique “Henry” Ramirez, 51, was discovered shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, roughly a mile from the end of the paved portion of Fredrickson Road in Woodland, the sheriff’s office said.
At a news conference Wednesday, Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark S. Nelson said there was no evidence of foul play, though he said his office would wait for the coroner to make a final determination on the cause of death. “At this point, it appears to be natural causes,” he said. “There were no obvious injuries.”
The sheriff advised runners in rural areas to carry cellphones in case of a medical or other emergency. Ramirez did not have his cellphone.
“This is just one of those strange things that happens occasionally. It’s tragic. We certainly feel for the family and friends,” Nelson said.
Ramirez was the new principal at the Multisensory Learning Academy K-8 Charter School in the Reynolds School District in Oregon.
The school district said in a statement that it was deeply saddened to learn about Ramirez’s death. Support services are being put together for staff and families, said Stephanie Field, director of communications.
Ramirez previously worked in the school district as the principal of Salish Ponds Elementary School and as the assistant principal at H.B. Lee Middle School, Field said.
The search for Ramirez began around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, when friends and family reported he didn’t show up for an appointment. The search included 20 to 25 searchers, drones and canine search teams in the area Ramirez often went running. Nelson said Ramirez was a regular runner along the routes where he was found.
Friends went to his house and found his wallet, cellphone and car were there. A friend who visited with Ramirez the night before said Ramirez planned on going jogging Tuesday morning.
