BLUE LAKE, Ca (KIEM) – A Blue Lake volunteer firefighter who went missing while hiking in the Trinity Alps was found dead Sunday. Daniel Komins was an outgoing person who always had a smile on his face.
Carli Hollis tells us she is grieving over the emotional loss of her boyfriend, Daniel Komins. We talked about their relationship, how much he loved hiking and her last conversation with Komins.
“He does this a lot. He has hundreds of solo backpacking miles under his belt, and every time he’s fine. This time he didn’t come home,” said Carli Hollis, Daniel Komins’ Girlfriend.
Carli Hollis is devastated from the loss of her boyfriend, Daniel Komins. Many knew him as the Blue Lake Volunteer Firefighter who loved to help people. And as an avid hiker. But for Hollis, she lost someone who she was planning a future with. She was looking at houses with and planning hiking trips for the next two years.
“Part of it feels like the rugs been pulled out from underneath me. I don’t know what I’m doing. I know that I can still do those things, he’ll just be there in spirit,” said Hollis.
Hollis and Komins have been friends for the last ten years. And September would have been the first anniversary of their relationship.
“The last couple weeks he would tell me, we’re going to be together for a year soon. Officially a year. He was really excited,” said Hollis.
The last time Hollis talked to Komins was while he was hiking in the Trinity Alps on Sunday, August 11th. The conversation lasted for three minutes.
“It was a good three minutes. I’m glad that 911 call wasn’t sooner, and I was able to get that time to talk to him,” said Hollis.
When Komins didn’t return home to Blue Lake, and Hollis didn’t hear from him, she knew something was wrong.
“He wouldn’t not contact to say he was late, and I just kind of lost it at that point. I just started crying,” said Hollis.
During the search and rescue process, Hollis didn’t know what to think. The one response she was hoping for was her boyfriend’s witty sense of humor.
“Just sitting around waiting for any phone call was hard, because I don’t know what news I’m going to get. I wasn’t sure if he was going to come out and be like, why did you call all these people? You know I’m fine,” said Hollis.
When Hollis was in Weaverville at the command post, she started having doubts about finding Komins alive on the second day of the search.
“At that point, I knew he never made it to Mirror Lake. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that we were maybe going to be recovering a body,” said Hollis.
Hollis is devastated by her loss but knows Komins died while doing something he truly enjoyed.
“I know that he was in a beautiful area, doing something that he loved. I know that he didn’t suffer. I know that he got to pass in the sunshine, in the beauty of the Trinity Alps.
Carli tells us there will be a memorial service next month for Komins. They will invite first responders, family, and friends to remember Daniel, who loved helping others and the outdoors.
