Mt. Pilchuck Rescue: Woman Injured in Glissading Mishap

GRANITE FALLS, WA - A group of Snohomish County search-and-rescue personnel retrieved a woman stranded on Mt. Pilchuck on Tuesday, according to the sheriff's office. Another hiker called 911 around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday to report that a woman had fallen in the snow and injured her leg. The woman attempted to self-rescue, the sheriff's office said, but her injury was too severe to make it down the trail.

After the 911 call, the sheriff's SnoHAWK10 helicopter dropped a rescue technician down to the woman. The helicopter then hoisted the woman and technician into the helicopter, and she was taken to a medical facility for treatment.

According to a trail report on the Washington Trails Association website, a hiker on the mountain Tuesday reported that a rescue helicopter had to save a hiker who was glissading and broke an ankle. The sheriff's office confirmed that the woman they rescued had injured her ankle after attempting a controlled glissading slide with an ice axe.

Over the weekend, a 19-year-old from Mercer Island died while glissading - which is sliding through snow using your body or legs - in the eastern Cascades north of Cle Elum.

The rescue team included four sheriff's deputies, a sheriff's office pilot, a volunteer pilot, a flight medic, and the rescue technician. Two volunteers from Everett Mountain Rescue also responded to the scene.

Pilchuck is a popular hike in the Cascades northeast of Everett. In warmer months, the summit offers stunning views, but the 5,300 foot mountaintop is still mostly covered in snow, according to trail reports.

Image via Creative Commons