Remains of missing B.C. teen confirmed to have washed up in Washington state

Jeffrey Surtel was 17 years old when he went missing on April 29, 2007.

It has now been confirmed that human remains that washed up in Washington state in August 2008 were Surtel.

Mission, B.C., RCMP said when Surtel’s family reported him missing in 2007, they believed he left the house on his bike while they were asleep at night, which was out of character for him.

2:00 Remains of Jeffrey Surtel identified, but mystery surrounds 2007 disappearance

A huge search effort was launched for Surtel but he was never found.

In August 2008, human remains washed ashore on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter and conducted DNA analysis of the remains, comparing it with DNA samples across multiple U.S. databases, but no matches were found.

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“There’s no record of him officially crossing the U.S. border at any point,” Cpl. Harrison Mohr with Mission RCMP said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Whether or not he entered the Fraser River in Mission, whether or not his body ended up, by other means, in the ocean, we’re not sure.”

Sixteen years later, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office crowdfunded donations and in early 2025, it was able to send DNA for testing at a private laboratory in Texas that used advances in forensic genetic genealogy to link the DNA to a member of Surtel’s extended family.

1:49 Mission family appeals for information on missing son

“Our hearts go out to Jeffrey’s family and friends, as they learn of this news,” Insp. Ted Lewko, officer in charge of the Mission RCMP detachment, said in a statement.

“We hope that this update helps to bring them some closure to what has surely been an unimaginable eighteen years of wondering what happened. Our sincere thanks to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office for their perseverance in finding answers, and to the lab that was able to help link the DNA to Jeffrey’s family. Your efforts have made a real difference to those who knew and loved Jeffrey.”

Through the RCMP, Surtel’s family said they would like to thank everyone who supported them over the years.

“Special mention to Jeff’s classmates and teachers at Hatzic Secondary School that searched the Fraser River Heritage Park,” the family said.

“Also, our thanks to the dozens of people that showed up for the grid search of the Mission area.”

Investigators on both sides of the border confirm that there is no indication of criminality, although the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of Surtel remain unknown.