It’s been a busy couple days for Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Search and Rescue. They responded to many calls over the past 48 hours. Following is a synopsis of four of those events, from a press release.
- On June 30 around 8:30 p.m., a call came in to 911 that a woman had fallen and injured herself on the Lake 22 Trail (near Granite Falls). The SCVSAR team located the victim and helped her down to the trail to an aid car at the trailhead. The victim’s age, city of residence, and extent of her injuries are unknown at this time.
- Around 10 p.m. on June 30, a call came into 911 from a concerned family member that her two sons had not returned from rock climbing up at Glacier Peak. The two men walked out late in the night, uninjured and safe, and no rescue was needed.
- At that same time (10 p.m. June 30), a 53-year-old woman lost her way back to the trailhead after summiting Mount Pilchuck. She hesitated to call 911 because she was concerned she would be charged a fee for rescue. (Note: Snohomish County Search and Rescue never charges victims for assistance. It is a volunteer, nonprofit organization made up of volunteers from around Snohomish County and primarily funded through private donations.) The sheriff’s office helicopter crew was able to locate the victim using night-vision goggles. SCVSAR walked her out after daylight.
- Friends of two men called 911 around 10 p.m. also June 30 to report that they were missing after they were going to summit Mount Pilchuck earlier in the day. The search teams have located the two 24-year-old men, but they have not yet left the backcountry, as of the time of this press release. More details on this incident will be released when they become available.
All of this is a reminder to be careful while you’re having fun outdoors. A man drowned in the Skykomish River earlier today. And over the weekend, a boy drowned in the Stillaguamish River. The water is cold and moving fast this time of year. If you’re going to be near the water, there are lots of good tips here in a story we wrote in May.
The Washington Trails Association has some good tips for safe hiking when the weather gets warm.
