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The Loch Ness Monster in Tacoma?

IR2 Media Group | Weekly Volcano
March 26, 2009, updated 10:57 a.m.

A mysterious creature has appeared in the waters of Thea Foss Waterway, and local environmental officials are scrambling to figure out what it is and where it came from. Local resident Lucas Hicks was jogging along the water yesterday morning when he noticed what he thought was a seal floating in the water near the Glass Museum.

“At first I thought it was a deformed seal, but then I realized that it wasn’t like any seal I’ve ever seen before. It looks more like an aquatic dinosaur… like the Loch Ness monster or something,” said Hicks. “It’s like that three-eyed fish in The Simpsons.”

Hicks took a few photos of this creature with his iPhone, and then decided to call the police to report the creature. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Environmental Health Response Team was also called to the scene, to run diagnostic research on the creature and the water it was found in.

The creature, (Loch Foss as it’s affectionately called), measured 18 feet from tip to tail when it was pulled from the water. It reportedly thrashed around quite a bit on the pavement and had to be sedated before officials could transport it in their van. One of the police officers on the scene also notice a green-ooze discharge coming from a sewer grate that empties into the water where Loch Foss was found.

Officials from the EHRT are declining to comment on the research being done to the creature, as they have not completed their analysis. The WA Department of Ecology is also involved, trying to find the source of the ooze in the water.

Stay tuned for story developments.

 

What caused the Loch Foss Monster?

By Joseph A Munro | Staff Reporter
March 30, 2009, updated 11:40 a.m.

The mysterious creature that was found last week by a local jogger in Thea Foss Waterway appears to have something in common with another creature of the Puget Sound.  Preliminary reports suggest that the DNA of the so-called Loch Foss Monster is an exact match to that of the harbor seal, which is found throughout the Puget Sound.

The Department of Ecology took over the investigation from Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department after Pierce County and Washington State officials deemed the appearance of the creature of regional concern.  Assisting the Department of Ecology in its investigation are the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Marine Biology Department at the University of Washington-Tacoma.

“This creature appeared to be unlike any we’ve seen.  But after running extensive DNA tests on it, we’ve determined that it is, in fact, a harbor seal, with some severe genetic defects,” said Dr. Petronella Hanneman, the adjunct professor of marine research at UWT. “At this time, we aren’t sure what exactly what caused the malformation of the seal’s body, although our best guess is exposure to some kind of pollutant or radiation.”

“The neck is approximately four times the size of an average seal’s neck, and its teeth are also much larger and more canine in appearance than one would expect for a seal,” Dr. Hanneman explained.  “We will continue to run tests on the animal to determine if there are any additional problems.”

The Department of Ecology has also launched an investigation into the green ooze that was reported at the scene. Diagnostic tests of samples taken from the scene revealed the sludge contains a number of chemicals, including thioridazine and dextroamphetamine, two common chemicals found in psychotropic drugs.  A number of heavy metals and caustic agents were also found in the ooze, including cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and lye.

“The components of the compound suggest that someone was trying to create a serious brain-altering brew,” said Dr. Jesse Aboukasm, a chemist with the Department of Ecology. “The level of sophistication of ingredients in this potion is incredible.  Whoever created this stuff really knows what the human brain is susceptible to.”

A request has been made by the Department of Ecology to get a copy of the sewer grid in the city of Tacoma. The City of Tacoma Sewer and Utility Services is complying with the request.  “We plan on getting down to the bottom of this as quickly as possible,” said Joseph Haloostock, a spokesman with the Mayor’s office. “The citizens of Tacoma deserve answers.”

Stay tuned for story developments.

 

Loch Foss Monster Linked to Local Shrink

By Joseph A Munro | Staff Reporter
April 1, 2009, updated 10:00 a.m.

Investigations into the mysterious appearance of a malformed seal and toxic sludge in Thea Foss Waterway last week have pointed state environment and health officials toward the cause of both:  Black Lake Asylum.  Officials from the Department of Ecology report that a diagram of Tacoma’s sewer grid led them to Sector 45G, where the medical research facility is located. Preliminary reports suggest that the medical asylum, which was under investigation last year for gross negligence and malpractice of patients before it burned down, was dumping psychotropic chemicals and heavy metals into its wastewater.  Autopsies on bodies found on the scene after the asylum’s demise revealed that patients were being given a brain-chemical altering mixture with a chemical signature exactly matching the green ooze-like substance found in the water where the Loch Foss monster was found.

“The chemical make-up of this substance is very powerful,” said Dr. Jesse Aboukasm, a chemist with DOE. “There would be serious long-term mental, emotional and physical side effects on any human who was exposed to it.  The question now is how many marine animals have been exposed?”

Divers for the Department of Ecology, in conjunction with the EPA, have spent the last several days in Thea Foss Waterway looking for other seals that exhibit symptoms of exposure to the green sludge.  So far, none have been found, and Department of Environmental Quality test on the waters near Thea Foss, as well as at Ruston, Brown’s Point and near the Narrows Bridge have not revealed any signs of the toxic goo.  The EPA will continue to monitor the situation periodically for the next several months to ensure that water quality in the Puget Sound in not compromised any further.

The state Department of Health has also reopened its investigation into the charges made against Black Lake Asylum last year.  The original investigation was closed after the asylum burned down and Dr. Herbert West, its director, was found dead at the scene. “We will keep this case open for as long as we need to,” said Robin Martin, spokesperson for the DOH. “Although the major players in this investigation are all dead, it is important for us to provide the public with as much information as possible, so they can feel a sense of closure.  We intend to let them know what happened.”

Currently, the Loch Foss monster is being held at the marine research facility at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Marine biologists there report they will continue to monitor the beast, and is thinking about giving it to the Pt. Defiance Aquarium as a gift if it determined that it is not a threat to other aquatic animals or people. Look for the Black Lake Haunted Asylum’s reopening in October and APRIL FOOL’S!

Links:

Check out the Black Lake Asylum 2008 Image Gallery!

Check out the Tacoma Jazz & Blues Festival 2008