COWLITZ COUNTY, Wash. (KPTV) – The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a man was found dead near Ariel on Monday morning. Just after 8 a.m., a 911 caller reported finding a man unresponsive near SR-503 milepost 42. A Washington State Patrol trooper was first on scene and found a man dead on a nearby logging road.