Video shows Seattle man rescued by helicopter near Kelcema Lake
Published 4:27 pm Tuesday, July 11, 2023
SILVERTON — A Seattle man was rescued in a harrowing helicopter hoist after he went missing on a Fourth of July hike near Kelcema Lake, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
The man, 26, was expected to return from his solo venture near the 23-acre lake July 7, according to the sheriff’s office. After not hearing from him for another three days, a concerned friend reported him to county search and rescue.
The Kelcema Lake trailhead is a popular spot for beginner backpackers, located 27 miles east of Granite Falls off the Mountain Loop Highway. The main trail is only 1 mile to the lake and back, according to the hiking website My Backyard and Beyond.
There are other climbing destinations in the area, too, above the lake’s 3,100-foot elevation.
Deputies reportedly found the man’s vehicle at the trailhead and began an aerial search for the man.
On their second orbit, the SnoHawk10 helicopter spotted a “long orange object about 3,700 feet up a steep drainage up a ridgeline,” the sheriff’s office said. As they got closer, the rescuers saw the man waving. A rescue technician was lowered to evaluate the patient.
The man reportedly injured his head and leg and could not hear. He was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.
An update on the man’s condition was not available.
The sheriff’s office posted dramatic video of the rescue Tuesday afternoon.
