Search-and-rescue teams save 3 stranded hikers on Three Fingers mountain

GRANITE FALLS — After 32 hours in the cold, three hikers stranded on Three Fingers mountain over the weekend were rescued by Snohomish County Search and Rescue teams.

On Friday, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office was notified of three “distressed” hikers who were stuck in thick fog and rain, 2 miles from the lookout on the mountain, according to the sheriff’s office. The hikers were not equipped for overnight sleeping, and there was significant snow on the ground.

The sheriff’s office search and rescue coordinator was able to reach the hikers via cell phone. They were siblings in their 20s, who had traveled from out of state, and were “very wet and cold,” police said. They had almost slid down a heavily snowed-in area with a steep slope, and could not make it back because of the conditions.

Rescue teams used E-bikes and all-terrain vehicles for 8 miles to reach the trailhead. The ground team then hiked an additional 7 miles to reach the endangered hikers, according to police. They reached the hikers within nine hours.

Subsequent rescue teams made their way to provide the hikers with more gear and dry clothes, as they showed signs of hypothermia, according to the sheriff’s office. A helicopter rescue team tried to make its way into the area, but conditions prevented them from flying in.

After more than a day, rescue teams helped the three hikers down the mountain. The first two rescue teams were on the trail for over 27 hours each, according to the sheriff’s office.

Before you leave to go hiking, the sheriff’s office search and rescue team suggests you take these precautions:

• Always check trail reports and weather condition

• Have a plan and share it with someone who is not hiking

• Always be well prepared with shelter, extra clothing, and food and water for several days

• Be honest with yourself: are you fit enough, skilled enough, and properly equipped

• Rescue teams can take days to reach you: are you prepared?

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.