WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. — A Search and Rescue team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has been busy. They’ve had four rescue missions in two weeks – and three of them all took place on the Pacific Crest Trail.
The most recent happened on August 10. They rescued a 54-year-old hiker who who was dehydrated and experiencing stroke-like symptoms.
Crews got the alert in the afternoon and found him a few hours later, just before 7:30 p.m.
They rushed him to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham for treatment.
On August 6, an 81-year-old man fell and broke his ankle while hiking near Glacier Peak in Snohomish County.
Visibility that day made it tough for crews to get to him, but conditions cleared in the evening, and they were able to pull him to safety and rush him to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
On August 3, crews rescued a 20-year-old hiker from the Pacific Crest Trail after the young man fell ill with food poisoning. He couldn’t keep food down for several days. He was flown to St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment.
On July 27 crews rescued a 73-year-old woman who had fallen on a nighttime hike near Pear Lake and had multiple injuries.
A group of hikers had found the injured woman in a very isolated and difficult to reach portion of the trail and called for help.
The group kept their flashlights on, making it easier for the rescue crew to find her.
They rushed her to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue has conducted 26 missions this calendar year, which includes 3 MEDEVACs, 2 searches, and 21 rescues.
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