Lake Stevens hiker dies in fall from ridge

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A Lake Stevens man fell to his death Saturday while hiking with his brother west of Leavenworth.

Thomas Vietti, 55, appeared to have died instantly when he fell roughly 500 feet from the ridge he was traversing above the west side of Lake Augusta, Chelan County Sheriff’s Lt. Maria Agnew said Monday.

The hiking accident was reported around 11 a.m. Saturday on a ridge below Big Jim Mountain in the Lake Augusta basin.

Vietti’s brother reported the accident. They were hiking together with no other members in the party, Agnew said.

“It’s very sad for the family,” she said.

The brother told dispatchers that Vietti had fallen from the ridge toward the lake and had died. They were hiking at an elevation of about 7,000 feet in mountainous terrain that required technical skills, Agnew said.

The brother hiked down and attempted CPR on Vietti.

He activated the emergency button on his tracking beacon and then hiked to an area above the lake to get cell phone coverage.

The pair had hiked up to Big Jim Mountain earlier in the day and were returning to their camp when the accident occurred.

Vietti appears to have lost his footing as he was maneuvering around a large rock outcropping on the ridge, Agnew said.

Heavy clouds, wind and rain delayed the recovery mission until Sunday morning. A recovery team, which included members of the Chelan County Search and Rescue and Chelan County Mountain Rescue organization, was taken to the scene by a Chelan County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Five members retrieved the body and five others served in support roles, Agnew said.

Vietti’s body was taken to a staging area at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery on Sunday morning.

Vietti’s family was at the hatchery throughout the recovery mission, Agnew said.

The body was released to the Chelan County Coroner’s Office.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.