A 33-year-old woman who tumbled more than 100 feet down a mountain in Washington state was lifted to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Saturday after her injuries left her unable to make it down on her own, the service said Wednesday.
The hiker had been on Mount Larrabee, close to the Canadian border, when she fell about 120 feet into a steep gully on the mountain’s south side, according to the Coast Guard. Rescue officials described her injuries as serious.
With the remote terrain complicating access and daylight fading, Washington state emergency officials asked a federal MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to help extract her from the mountainside.
The Coast Guard aircrew spent roughly 40 minutes scanning the tight ravine and was nearing the fuel limit for staying on scene when they finally spotted the injured woman. She was hoisted into the helicopter at about 8:40 p.m. PT. Video from the operation captured a member of her hiking group shouting toward the approaching aircraft.
“Come save my friend!” the person can be heard yelling, as what appears to be a piece of green fabric is waved into view, seemingly to signal the crew.
The woman was then transported by air to Bellingham Airport, north of Seattle, where emergency medical personnel were waiting.
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“This successful outcome is a direct result of the outstanding teamwork and rapid coordination between our agencies,” Lt. Commander Marshall Burtt, the aircraft commander for the rescue, said in a statement.
Burtt also credited the search-and-rescue crews and fire officials from nearby Whatcom County and Bellingham who assisted with the response.
He also praised the injured woman’s hiking group for their help.
“Equipped with advanced survival training and critical safety gear, the hiking party was uniquely prepared to serve as active partners during the rescue of their fellow hiker,” said Burtt.
Mount Larrabee is located in Washington’s northern Cascades range, with a summit that stands at an altitude of at about 7,861 feet, according to the Washington Trails Association.
