Herald staff
DARRINGTON — A Darrington man’s warm cap was credited with helping keep him alive after his all-terrain vehicle became mired in the snow and forced him to endure hours in the cold and wet on Tuesday.
The man, 51, headed out alone Tuesday afternoon to ride along snow-covered roads on Segelsen Mountain near Darrington, said Jan Jorgensen, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. His family launched a search when he didn’t come back by midafternoon as planned. Search-and-rescue crews were summoned about 9 p.m.
Searchers were concerned because the man has multiple health problems, including a heart condition and diabetes. The man also was traveling without insulin or rain gear, Jorgensen said.
Searchers found the man just after midnight Tuesday. He was about seven miles up a trail, exhausted and seated in the pouring rain, Jorgensen said.
The man told searchers that his ATV had rolled down an embankment after he tried to dislodge it from a snowbank. He’d been able to travel about two miles before succumbing to exhaustion and cold.
Search-and-rescue crews said the situation could have been worse had the man not been wearing an insulated cap, complete with ear flaps, which helped him retain body heat.
The incident points out the potential risks of traveling solo into remote areas in the county and the need to always carry proper equipment, Jorgensen said.
"Know your limitations and be physically and mentally prepared to face any emergency that might arise," she added.
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