Man injured in assault at Moses Lake Sand Dunes

MOSES LAKE - The sheriff's office is asking the public for help in finding a man who assaulted and seriously injured a Tacoma man at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes over the weekend.

Deputies were called to the Crescent Bar area about 1:20 p.m. Saturday and found Corey T. Barker, 37, complaining of no sensation on the left side of his body. He was transported by ambulance to Wenatchee and then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he had surgery Tuesday for a broken neck and bleeding to the brain, according to the sheriff's office.

Barker and his friends were reportedly on a boat at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes Saturday. When they arrived, they tied to other boats along the shore and were partying, hopping from boat-to-boat while drinking alcohol. At one point, Barker was dancing with a woman on a boat when the woman's boyfriend allegedly shoved Barker from behind, causing him to fall off the boat head-first into about a foot of water, according to the sheriff's office.

Barker and his friends returned to Crescent Bar not realizing the seriousness of his injuries.

Police are looking for a white male in his 20s, about six feet tall with a muscular build, wearing shorts and a baseball cap. The suspect reportedly has a large tattoo on his back and tattoos on his arms.

The woman Barker was dancing with is described as white, in her late 20s, with bleached-blonde hair and wearing a black bikini.

The boat where the alleged assault occurred was a white mid-90s ski boat with squared windows and a chrome rack with speakers. It is not known what association the suspect has to the boat.

Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect's identity is asked to call the sheriff's office at 509-762-1160 and reference case number 14GS05845. Tipsters can remain anonymous.