ARLINGTON — Search and Rescue teams hiked up the Boulder River trail Monday to rescue a 72-year-old woman who walked off the trail at Boulder Falls, falling 15 to 20 feet down a cliff.
Rescuers were alerted to the woman’s plight by a fellow hiker who saw her fall. She called 911 on her cell phone at 3:21 p.m., said Jan Jorgensen, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescue teams from Skagit and Snohomish County, the Darrington Fire Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spent several hours rescuing the woman, using a rope system to bring her up from the cliff, Jorgensen said.
The woman, whose name and hometown were not immediately available, had cuts on her leg and a shoulder injury. She was described as being conscious and alert.
She was taken to Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington for treatment.
Drowning victim identified: The man who died Sunday while swimming near Crescent Harbor has been identified by the Island County Coroner’s Office as Marvin B. Searle, 57, of Oak Harbor.
His death has officially been ruled as a drowning, Valerie Freer, deputy coroner, said Monday evening.
Searle drowned after swimming into the water to recover a boat that had drifted away as he and another man explored a beach near Maylor Point.
Rollover wreck blocks trestle: A car that rolled over Monday evening while eastbound on Hewitt Avenue Trestle temporarily blocked several lanes and sent a Granite Falls woman to the hospital.
Kellie M. Schwacha, 19, was driving a Ford Escort when her car, which was in the left lane, moved into the right lane, causing the vehicle to swerve to the right. The car struck a barrier and rolled over onto its top, according to a state patrol report. The accident was reported at 6:18 p.m.
Schwacha was treated and released from Providence Everett Medical Center’s Colby Campus, according to a nursing supervisor.
Washington Mutual Bank branch robbed: A man used a note to rob a Washington Mutual Bank branch of an undisclosed amount of money Monday.
The robbery at First Avenue SE and Everett Mall Way occurred just minutes after 9 a.m. The man entered the bank, gave a teller a note that stated that he wanted money, and he left the bank on foot, Everett police Lt. Bill Deckard said. The robber crossed the street and got into an older blue Toyota, then drove eastbound on Everett Mall Way, he said. There was no weapon involved and no injuries.
Witnesses described the robber as in his 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches, 160 to 170 pounds, medium build, and very tanned — possibly achieved with an orange-tinted liquid tanning product, according to Ray Lauer, FBI spokesman in Seattle. The man was clean shaven, with brown, bushy and wavy hair, possibly a wig. He wore a blue baseball cap, cheap sunglasses with fluorescent orange sides, and a green windbreaker.
Anyone with information on the robber should call the Everett police tip line at 425-257-8450, or the FBI in Seattle at 206-622-0460.
Car hits skateboarder: A 13-year-old boy was listed in satisfactory condition Monday after he was struck by a car while skateboarding across a street in the Bothell area.
The youth suffered leg and wrist injuries in the accident about 3 p.m. at 205th Street SW and Filbert Drive, and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The boy was one of three 13-year-olds riding skateboards in the road, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said. One boy had skated to the sidewalk of the street and a second boy crossed to join him, she said. The boy skated in front of a 1973 Volkswagen, she said. The car, driven by a 19-year-old Bothell man, swerved to avoid the boys, but couldn’t miss the teen, Jorgensen said.
No charges are anticipated, she said.
Help solve shooting death: The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help in the slaying of Kyle Van Rotz, whose body was found in the 22000 block of 119th Avenue SE on July 3.
Von Rotz, 22, died of multiple gunshot wounds in the early morning hours of June 29 on a secluded back road. He was found beside his car, an off-white, midsize, two-door Chrysler LeBaron.
He reportedly had been seen playing pool at several taverns in the Woodinville area the night before his death, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said. He was white, 5 feet 10 inches, with a medium build, brown hair and a goatee.
Anyone with information on the homicide should call Detective David Heitzman at 425-388-3843, or Detective Brad Pince at 425-388-3827.
Fireworks damage greenhouse: A Snohomish County deputy fire marshal said fireworks likely ignited a blaze that caused $10,000 damage to a greenhouse shed Saturday in the 18000 block of 177th Avenue SE.
The fire was discovered about 6:15 p.m. The building was used to store sawdust.
Rescued man goes straight to jail: When rescuers found a Snohomish County man who got separated from his companion Saturday while hunting for crystals in the Red Gulch area, he was greeted by a sheriff’s deputy.
"The good news is you’re out of the woods," the deputy said. "The bad news is you’re going to jail."
The 25-year-old man, a convicted felon, was wanted on misdemeanor warrants from the National Park Service, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said Monday.
About 10:20 p.m., sheriff’s personnel and Snohomish County Search and Rescue learned that the man and his companion had taken rock hammers to look for crystals but had gotten separated, and they carried no survival equipment. The companion told other hikers he was looking for his friend and he was going to call for help. Rescuers found the companion at the Index Town Tavern, Jorgensen said. He showed them on a map where he had lost his friend. The area is about five miles southwest of Silver Lake and Poodle Dog Pass.
The sheriff’s helicopter, search dog teams, about 16 local rescue volunteers, and members of Skagit, Seattle and Tacoma Mountain Rescue units began searching. He was found about 3 a.m., in good condition, except for the no-bail warrants.
From Herald staff reports
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