Injured, unconscious hiker rescued in Cascade Mountains

WASHINGTON PASS — An injured hiker was rescued near Washington Pass on Friday by a search and rescue team with Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Officials said the 39-year-old man suffered a possible pelvis fracture and loss of consciousness after falling at an elevation of about 6,500 feet.

The search and rescue team was able to located the climber against a 500-foot vertical rock face, officials said.

"The SAR crew inserted two crewmembers via rappel about 300 feet below the injured climber," an officials with Naval Air Station Whidbey wrote in a news release. "While the SAR helicopter returned to NAS Whidbey Island to refuel, the two crewmembers climbed to the patient, prepped him for transport, and moved him back down to their original insert point.

The helicopter returned to refuel and officials said they hoisted the injured climber and two crewmembers.

The injured hiker was eventually transported to Haborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island officials said they have conducted 31 total missions throughout Washington in 2019, including nine searches, 12 rescues and 10 medical evaluations.

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