All 11 victims recovered and identified in Longview implosion

Eleven employees of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill who died when a tank imploded Tuesday have been identified.

At a news conference Saturday, Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker confirmed nine victims had been recovered from the site of what she called "one of the most significant tragedies our community has experienced since the eruption of Mount St. Helens."

Two others had died after being rushed from the scene by ambulance. Of seven other workers who were injured, at least five had been discharged from hospitals.

Those who died had worked at Nippon from less than six months to more than 15 years. One had planned to leave early Tuesday for his wife's ultrasound appointment for their unborn child. Another was described as a devoted grandfather. Two were brothers.

"The loss and heartbreak being experienced right now extends far beyond this facility and far beyond this community," said Scott Tift, national president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, at the news conference. "Entire families, lifelong friendships, workplaces, and communities across the region have been deeply affected."

Tift noted efforts to recover workers "required extraordinary professionalism, care and coordination under incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions."

Kurt Stich, deputy chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue and operations chief for the incident, said crews had been conducting "physically laborious work" as they worked in indoor areas littered with desks, large cabinets and debris.

"There was heavy items to be moved, and they had to continually inspect the area," Stich said. Meanwhile, he said crews were flying over the area with drones to make sure they had not missed anything.

Jared Ammons

Jared Ammons, 35, was an electrician by trade, and he took pride in his work, his wife, Mackenzie Ammons, said. He worked in Hillsboro, Ore., for a time but a couple of years ago accepted a job at the Nippon Dynawave mill to be closer to home.

On Tuesday morning, Ammons arrived early to work so he could leave early and join Mackenzie at a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound. But he didn't live to make the appointment and hear that their unborn child has a strong heartbeat and is healthy, Mackenzie said.

Read more about Jared Ammons here.

Norman Barlow

Norman Barlow, 58, had not been publicly identified until Saturday.

We ask everybody to respect the privacy, time and space of these families as they navigate this unimaginable loss," Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker said Saturday. "This is a horrific tragedy that has profoundly impacted our community."

Gilbert Bernal

Gilbert Bernal, 52, was the first worker identified among those killed in the major industrial implosion at a Longview pulp and paper mill Tuesday morning.

Bernal, an electrician at the plant, was a devoted father and grandfather, and he had been married for more than 30 years, his friend Todd Cornwell told The Seattle Times.

Bernal and his wife were among the first to introduce themselves to Cornwell and his wife at church after they moved to Longview about two years ago, and they were in the same Bible study group.

"He was such a God-fearing man in our Bible studies," said Cornwell, who set up a GoFundMe for Bernal's family. "He would always have something insightful to say that was meaningful and personal to his life."

Read more about Gilbert Bernal here.

Brad Covington

Brad Covington, 27, was an electrical and instrumentation technician at Nippon, where he had worked since 2021, according to his LinkedIn page. He and Tyler Covington were brothers.

Tyler Covington

Tyler Covington, 29, had a fiancée and three young children, according to a GoFundMe page.

"They were his entire world," the organizer wrote. "Now, his family is left carrying the emotional pain of losing him and so much uncertainty."

He and Brad Covington were brothers.

CJ Doran

Clint Doran, known as CJ, 26, "was a selfless and deeply caring person who loved the Lord with all his heart and loved his family very much," according to a GoFundMe organized on behalf of Doran's wife.

His wife lost "her husband, the spiritual leader of their family, the joy of their home, and the family provider."

Braydon Finkas

Braydon Finkas, 38, was an electrician and had worked at Nippon since 2016, according to his LinkedIn page. He and his partner lived in Cathlamet, Wahkiakum County.

A GoFundMe page described him as a fixture at the local golf course or brewery, and someone whose "love for life was evident in everything he did," like making his famous brisket, playing cribbage or enjoying a round of golf.

John Forsberg

John Forsberg, 51, had two children, and his family "is navigating an unimaginable and deeply traumatic loss, a friend wrote on a GoFundMe page. He was a guitarist and singer and would post videos of himself performing songs on YouTube.

Dillon Miller

Dillon Miller's death in the mill implosion was confirmed by family friends on social media.

"Dillon was a devoted father and soon-to-be husband who meant so much to so many," wrote Melanie Galloway, who said she was a family friend and had once lived across the street from Miller's family for years.

Miller had a wife and three children, according to a Meal Train post.

Skylar Minnier said in a Facebook post that she had known Miller since they were 11 years old. She recalled times when she and Miller "cried together, laughed together," got in trouble and watched each other fall in love and grow families from afar.

"We were all meant to be with each other growing up when we were young, sharing those memories together every single day, in your garage, at your house or mine all of the time," she wrote to Miller. "We were a family, and we never stopped being one, even if we all grew up and had babies of our own."

Dale Miller

Dale Miller, 54, was one of the first two to be pulled from the implosion zone, according to his sister's post on a GoFundMe page. He was a journeyman millwright at Nippon, where he had worked since December.

Robb Wilson

On Wednesday, Robb Wilson's son wrote that his father, 48, was missing and asked people to "just please pray for him and our family. I love you dad."

After two days had gone by, his wife, Crystal Wilson, wrote to her husband on Facebook, telling him, "we are in this together my love! I'm holding on my love!"

"I know we are each other's greatest love blessing and accomplishments in our lifetime! We did it babe!" she wrote. "We found each other after all the storms! I love so much! I'm holding on Robby!! I love you my Superman! I gotta bring you home!! I'm here I promise 4-always!!"

Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story misstated the title of the county coroner's office.

Seattle Times staff reporter Nina Shapiro contributed to this story.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 4:51 PM.