OLYMPIA, Wash. – Two injured hikers were airlifted to safety Sunday night after they fell into an avalanche chute while climbing Mount Ellinor in Washington‘s Olympic National Forest.
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Two injured hikers were airlifted to safety Sunday night after they fell into an avalanche chute while climbing Mount Ellinor in Washington’s Olympic National Forest.
(U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District Public Affairs / FOX Weather)
A 51-year-old and a 16-year-old had fallen partway down the side of the mountain onto a path where avalanches travel, the Coast Guard’s Northwest District said in a news release.
The 51-year-old had abdominal injuries and the 16-year-old hurt their knee.
Infrared footage shows first responders securing the injured hikers onto a rescue litter in the darkness before hoisting them into a helicopter amid near-freezing conditions Sunday night.
Teams from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Olympic Mountain Rescue helped to locate the hikers before they were airlifted by the Coast Guard to Olympia Regional Airport.
