CHELAN, Wash. — A woman was killed and her husband is recovering from hypothermia after the pair got stranded in the “core zone” of the Enchantments during a snowstorm last weekend.
Around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, RiverCom dispatch got a text-to-911 message from the man, who said that the pair was stranded in an area that was 8,000 feet in elevation with the trailhead being at least eight to 10 miles away. He told dispatchers his wife was unable to move and that he was unable to carry her out.
Storms were persistent throughout the day, which led to “significant snowfall” in the area, the sheriff’s office said. The pair’s clothes were soaked and they didn’t have overnight gear, the sheriff’s office reported.
At approximately 5:49 p.m., the man reported that his wife was under an emergency blanket and that they were in approximately 1 to 2 feet of snow.
“Because of the remote location and deteriorating weather conditions, deputies determined the best option for a rescue would be the use of a helicopter if the weather cleared. However, the weather was preventing helicopter access to the area. At that point, the only other option was to get a ground team in as quickly as possible to try to warm her up. A ground rescue team was requested from Chelan County Mountain Rescue. They provide the quickest ground response possible,” the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office wrote.
Just before 7 p.m. that night, the sheriff’s office asked for help from an Army helicopter to hoist the pair out if weather conditions improved. The helicopter was launched around 8 p.m., but it couldn’t reach the couple due to the weather.
The man kept giving updates on his and his wife’s condition throughout the night. Her “deteriorating condition and the possibility that it was becoming fatal” prompted continued requests from the sheriff’s office to the Army.
The Army made a second attempt around 11:50 p.m. but again was unable to reach them because of the weather.
At about 3:30 a.m., Chelan County Mountain Rescue personnel reached the couple.
Rescuers reported that the woman was dead and the man was suffering from severe hypothermia.
The man was rescued, and on the morning of Sept. 14, the Army helicopter met him and two Chelan County Mountain Rescue volunteers at the Leavenworth fish hatchery. They took him to Cascade Medical Center for treatment.
Just before 10 a.m., the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office helicopter transported two deputies from the fish hatchery to assist with the recovery operation.
Authorities identified the woman as 45-year-old Sybil Claborn of Oklahoma.
Her cause of death has not been released.