Tragedy on the Hunt: Brothers Lost in the Cold
A winter hunting expedition near Chehalis ends in the death of a sixteen-year-old boy and the severe injury of his older brother.
William Fink, aged 16, was frozen to death, and his brother Henry Fink, aged 23, was so badly frozen that he will likely lose his hands and feet. The brothers went on a hunting trip last week, became lost, and struggled through snow and sub-zero temperatures for days. By Monday, Henry had to leave his younger brother behind to seek help, as the boy could no longer walk. When rescue eventually arrived, William was already dead. The brothers were the sole support for their widowed mother.
“Henry had to leave his brother to seek help as the boy could go no farther.”
This story highlights the brutal reality of rural life in early 20th-century Washington, where one bad storm could leave a family destitute. It serves as a reminder of the hazards faced by early settlers in the rugged landscape surrounding the South Sound.
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