Share this article:
Print

Remains of Washougal man found amid Haiti quake ruins

by By KGW.com Staff

Posted on February 8, 2010 at 10:46 PM

******

WASHOUGAL, Wash. --  The remains of a Washougal man killed in the Haitian earthquake have been found.

A message on the Facebook page for Jeanne Ratterman confirmed her husband Walt's remains were identified Monday.

He was last seen at the Hotel Montana, where he was staying while working on renewable energy projects for rural Haitian hospitals when the earthquake hit.

"Dear friends and family, we were notified late last night that Walt’s remains have been identified, and he will be flown home soon. We will hold a memorial gathering for friends and family in the near future, and will be in touch with all of you with particulars. Thank you for your love, prayers and support; we look forward to speaking with each of you personally when we are able. Sincerely, Jeanne, Briana and Shane"

Briana said her dad was likely in a meeting in a second-floor conference room of the Hotel Montana in Port Au Prince when the earthquake leveled the building. She recently got word from Haiti that a search and rescue team, using specialized acoustic equipment, was still detecting tapping sounds, "meaning people are still alive under the hotel rubble,” she said.

A humanitarian relief organization recently dispatched a team to Haiti, including a K-9, continued to help look for Walt, who is the co-founder of Washougal-based nonprofit Sun Energy Power International.

Ratterman has worked around the world as an electrician and renewable energy contractor, according to Knights Bridge International.

Share this article:
Print

To add a comment, please register or login.

Leave your comment
1000 characters remaining

Submit

We welcome your comments on this story's topic. Off-topic comments, personal attacks, and inappropriate language may be flagged and removed, and comment privileges blocked, per our Terms of Service. Thanks for keeping the comments space respectful.

Privacy Policy

HTML is not allowed.