The tragedy of raging wildfires throughout Eastern Washington hit home Wednesday for a Renton family staying at Okanogan County, where they had to flee from the Cold Springs fire.
Jake and Jamie Hyland were severely burned and their 1-year-old son Uriel died, according to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office reported that the family’s vehicle was found Sept. 8, wrecked and burnt, in an attempt to flee. Search and rescue was then called to assist in finding the missing family.
On Wednesday morning crews located the family along the river bank of the Columbia River— both Jake Hyland, 31, and Jamie Hyland, 26, were severely burned and their 1-year-old son was dead. The Renton couple was transported to Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster before being flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for third-degree burns.
Jake and Jamie Hyland remained in critical condition in intensive care on Thursday morning, according to an email from a Harborview spokesperson. They are being cared for by burn specialists.
Meanwhile, a family member has started an emergency GoFundMe to support the family as they recover. They state the family was on a short weekend trip at their Okanogan property that had no signal or communication.
“It is a true miracle of God that they were found and are alive,” said Tammie Mabry, who started the GoFundMe account and whose husband is a cousin of Jake Hyland. “The whole experience they have been through is nothing short of completely horrific and traumatizing. They need your prayers!”
Mabry stated in an update that the couple has a long road ahead of them, and increased the funding goal to $100,000. As of Thursday, it has surpassed its goal with $104,557 raised. That fundraiser is available here.
As of Thursday, Sept. 10, the Cold Springs Fire cause remained under investigation while it burned 172,000 acres and was 10% contained. The tragedy has also received widespread attention and well-wishes across social media.
Jake and Jamie Hyland and their son Uriel. COURTESY PHOTO, GoFundMe.
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