The Grays Harbor County Coroner George Kelley submitted his report for the month of January 2026 to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

According to the report, there were 64 deaths reported to the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office in January. This total is less than 2025 (77), less than 2024 (81), less than 2023 (86), less than 2022 (80), and less than 2021 (69).

Fifty-seven deaths were reported as natural causes. These deaths included cardiac issues, cancer, infections, gastrointestinal diseases and pulmonary issues. There were seven non-natural cause deaths reported — one by suicide, (firearm), two by fall, one by drowning and three suspected overdoses.

Grays Harbor ranked fourth in the state per capita for overdose deaths from Dec. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025.

Coroner’s Office investigators conducted 18 on-scene investigations in January. Time on scene varied from as little as two hours to as long as eight hours. Many hours are spent on follow-up to many of these cases, both natural and non-natural cases.

There were four post-mortem examinations conducted in January as well.

Recently, the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s office was able to identify two previously unidentified decedents. One of the cases was nearly 20 years old, dating back to 1995. That decedent was identified and had been missing since 1974. He was presumed to have drowned while fishing in Westport. The other case was from 2006 and was found to be a man missing from Tillamook Bay, Oregon. He had been presumed to have drowned while crabbing.

“We are still working on some other cases, with DNA genealogy completed on one. Additional research is still being conducted on these cases,” Kelley said.