Tragic Discovery Near Benton City
A teenage boy who went missing just before Christmas is found dead near a cliffside after a hunting accident.
The body of Huron Pratt, a 15-year-old boy, was found on January 6, four miles west of Benton City. He had been missing since December 23. The body was discovered among rocks on the side of a high cliff with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. It is believed that he accidentally shot himself while climbing the hill to hunt.
“In climbing the hill hunting he had shot himself accidentally, it is thought.”
Accidental firearm deaths in the rugged terrain of the Yakima Valley remain a somber reality of rural life. While search and rescue technology has advanced significantly since 1917, the hazards of the steep, rocky landscape near the Benton City cliffs persist for outdoor enthusiasts.
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