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Helicopter rescues hiker near Glacier Peak after snowstorm

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, October 30, 2018

By Herald Staff

Helicopter rescues hiker near Glacier Peak after snowstorm
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Helicopter rescues hiker near Glacier Peak after snowstorm
Katharina Groene, of Munich, Germany, after her rescue by a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crew on Monday near Glacier Peak. (Katharina Groene)
Katharina Groene (second from right), 34, was rescued from the Pacific Crest Trail on Monday near Glacier Peak. Afterward, she paused for a photo with the Snohawk1 crew that saved her, as well as Nancy Abell (second from left), who reported Groene might be endangered by a winter storm. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)

UPDATE: Read the complete story of the rescue.

SULTAN — A frostbitten German hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail was rescued Tuesday by helicopter near Glacier Peak.

Katharina Groene, 34, of Munich, had been solo hiking the trail for months when she was caught in a winter storm this week.

Days earlier, a Sultan hiker, Nancy Abell, had encountered Groene near Stevens Pass. They talked about the potential dangers of the Cascades at this time of year, but Groene decided to press on with her hike.

Abell kept a close eye on the forecast. She alerted the sheriff’s office Monday that Groene was likely in danger. Snowhawk1 found her near Mica Lake — soaking wet, with frostbite setting into her feet. She had little food and was ill-equipped for snow travel. She was flown to safety.

“If Nancy had not taken action, Katharina would have most likely died in the mountains,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Please remember that winter weather comes much earlier in the mountains and it is extremely important to be well prepared with proper clothing, shelter and food when backpacking.”

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