Wife of Paper Mill Victim: 'He Told Me Things'

Crews have recovered the remains of one more victim of a massive chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Washington state, authorities said Friday, leaving two workers still unaccounted for. Among the 11 workers killed in the disaster were two brothers who worked there together, a trivia champ, and an electrician who would help his farmer neighbors cut hay, per the AP. The tank, containing more than 500,000 gallons of a mixture used to break down wood for making paper, collapsed on Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview.

The recovery of victims has been slow and methodical, complicated by the dangers posed by the remaining chemicals and other industrial hazards, says Matt Amos, a Longview fire battalion chief. As they collect the remains, crews must decontaminate them before turning them over to the coroner's office for identification. The searchers also must decontaminate themselves. Authorities haven't released the names of those who were killed, but friends and relatives have begun confirming their names and posting online fundraisers to support their families. Among the victims:

• Brothers Tyler and Brad Covington, who worked together at the plant. An online effort to support Tyler Covington's family noted he "leaves behind his wife and their three beautiful children."
• Gilbert Bernal, a grandfather who was an electrician at the plant, was the first confirmed death, his friend Todd Cornwell said, noting, "He was one of the most genuinely good people that you've ever met. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it."
• John Forsberg, who also died in the collapse, was witty, kind, and "wicked smart," said friend Kole Musgrove, who hosts a trivia night at Ashtown Brewing in Longview where Forsberg regularly competed. The brewery is renaming its trivia trophy the Forsberg Cup to honor him. A GoFundMe post is seeking donations for Forsberg's two children.
• CJ Doran, 26, was "the spiritual leader of their family, the joy of their home, and the family provider," according to a GoFundMe post verified by the crowdfunding site.
• Other victims included Jared Ammons, who had two children and another on the way, and Braydon Finkas, an electrician at the plant, who, along with his longtime partner, Kaitlyn Kincaid, hosted exchange students and others in need, according to friend Rex Czuba. Ammons' wife says that her husband had previously vented to her about unsafe conditions at the plant. "He told me things," she tells KOMO.

The tank failure also injured eight people, including a firefighter, who was treated and released from the hospital. Some suffered burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said. The cause of the disaster is under investigation.