Avalanche victim identified

Published 2:38 pm Monday, January 7, 2008

VERLOT – The 13-year-old girl who died Friday in an avalanche along a popular hiking trail has been identified as Emily Swanson, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner announced this afternoon.

Emily was hiking with a man, 45, and six other children, ages 12 to 16. The group had set out to hike the 2.7-mile trail to Lake 22 on the north slopes of Mount Pilchuck off the Mountain Loop Highway.

Bad weather forced the hikers to turn back before they reached the lake. About 2:30 p.m. the avalanche struck. Initially, four children were trapped in the slide. One boy freed himself, and the group was able to rescue two other girls.

The group went to call for help after spending an hour searching through the snow for Emily. They called 911 from the Verlot visitor’s center.

A search-and-rescue crew located Emily’s body several hours later and brought her down early Saturday.

Emily attended Harbor Pointe Middle School in Mukilteo.