Hiker crawls 8 hours on fractured ankle before being rescued
February 24, 2020 8:24AM PST
A Coast Guard helicopter crew medically evacuated an injured hiker Saturday near Olympic National Park.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the 26-year-old man reportedly fractured his ankle while hiking.
He reportedly crawled for eight hours before his phone acquired adequate signal to call 911.
A search and rescue team located the man at 4 a.m., rendered first aid and readied him for medevac.
A Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched at first light and arrived at the scene at 7 a.m.
The aircrew hoisted the man from his location and took him to Harborview Medical Center.
The man was reported to be in stable condition.
“We like to train for high-altitude rescues because of the mountainous region we operate in,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sam Hill, MH-65 pilot, Air Station Port Angeles. “Because of that training, we were able to overcome numerous environmental challenges to rescue the hiker from a dangerous situation. We thank Jefferson County Search and Rescue for their help locating the hiker and assisting with the hoist.”
