We’d like to send a big “thank you” out to the folks in Sequim who helped us in our time of need.

The people at Fortune Star Chinese Restaurant loaned us a phone and support when we couldn’t find our teenage daughter. An ex-firefighter named John (I wish we’d gotten your phone number to thank you and tell you when she’d been located) went out looking for her on foot while I drove the area.

(Sequim Police) Officer Grant Dennis — who responded to our call — and Officer Stephanie Benes — who found our daughter using great logical reasoning to look in the Lucky Star Thrift store near our location — both earned our eternal gratitude.

There were so many people in Sequim who showed their concern that we just want to thank you all.

When a child is lost, so many things race through your mind and we all know that so much can happen in a short amount of time. We are very grateful that nothing serious occurred and have learned a great lesson in all this: We all need to know that unless we have actually talked to a person, we have NOT communicated! My daughter left a voice mail telling me where she was but my phone was dead and I thought she was just walking around the block to warm up.

Sequim, you are forever in our hearts. Thank you from the Rivasplata family!

Eileen Newton

Tacoma