Six-year-old dies in Bellingham driftwood accident

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Local authorities are reminding visitors and residents of San Juan County about the dangers of building driftwood structures on beaches just days after a tragedy occurred in Bellingham.

On July 8, 6-year-old Killian Gonzales was playing in a driftwood fort at Little Squalicum Beach with his older sister and babysitter when a log fell and struck him on the head.

“It was a structure that other people had built,” Deb Slater of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office told the Journal. “It was already on the beach. The children were playing around it and in it when the log fell.”

Slater said 13 law enforcement officers responded and were able to restore the child’s pulse via CPR before he was airlifted to Seattle Children’s Hospital. Tragically, he died from his injuries a few days later.

Beaches in San Juan County, which are covered in driftwood, frequently have similar structures built by beachgoers. The dangers are not always apparent to visitors, but are well-known to the various entities that manage our beaches (like County Parks, National Parks Service, State Parks, the Port of Friday Harbor, Land Bank and more), who will tear down the structures when they see them.

“Driftwood can be unpredictable and unstable, especially when stacked or used to build structures. As a practice, Parks staff deconstruct driftwood forts when they are found,” Interim Parks Director for San Juan County, Joe Vlach, told the Journal. “We have use agreements and rules that help people stay safe. These include notices that say no driftwood forts and no gathering firewood or driftwood. We rely on our County Rangers, staff, and education as we face this important safety issue.”

The Code of Federal Regulations, which applies to the beaches within San Juan Historical National Park, like South Beach, also prohibits building structures with driftwood. 36 CFR 1.5(a) states that “Coastal drift log structures can be very unstable and therefore hazardous to park visitors and are prohibited,” with a penalty of up to six months in prison.

With differing jurisdictions covering countless beaches, it’s difficult for these rules to be enforced. Unfortunately, building these structures can carry consequences far more serious than a prison sentence.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Bellingham,” Vlach shared. “Our hearts go out to the family, and everyone affected.”