7 hurt in crash off cliff west of Darrington; 1 airlfited

Published 8:30 pm Saturday, October 16, 2021

DARRINGTON — Seven people were injured, one critically, when a vehicle crashed off a cliff Saturday near the Boulder River trailhead, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

A technical rescue crew was on scene trying to save people from the crashed vehicle around 6 p.m., about 11 miles west of Darrington, according to the sheriff’s office.

The road was shut down for the operation and remained closed for hours.

The patient in critical condition was airlifted from the scene. By 8 p.m., all seven patients had been brought to safety. They were taken to hospitals.

Details about the cause of the crash were not available Saturday.

Boulder River is a relatively flat hike a little over 4 miles long, with many views of waterfalls and the namesake river. It’s popular early and late in the hiking season: Snow doesn’t stick around too long at its highest elevation, 1,550 feet.

The rough dirt road to the trailhead, known as Forest Service Road 2010, follows French Creek. There’s a series of switchbacks at the end.

The road is almost as long as the trail.