Injured hiker airlifted out after falling on steep slope
Once again, a reckless young man, 22, was badly injured in a fall. He was climbing off-trail in extremely steep terrain in the Enchantment Mountains. There's still snow up there.
He suffered injuries to his head, knee and ankles in the fall. Was he wearing a climbing helmet and roped up? Obviously not.
Of course there was no cell phone coverage. To call 911, his father had to steeply descend to Ingalls Creek Trail, below the mountains in the foreground. High winds prevented a helicopter rescue on Saturday. Finally, a helicopter rescue team reached him on Sunday.
I don't climb up cliffs. "How will I get down?" I think. Too dangerous.
What were they thinking?
Photo:
Mt. Rainier wrapped by the Enchantments. Taken from a small airplane, February 2011.
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9 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Beautiful picture.
dalefvictor
Level 8
July 13, 2020
1
@dalfvictor
Thank you.
Airlifts are common here and I witnessed the helicopter headed for the clinic just today. However, those who take risks should have to pay the rescue charges or have insurance. Here we buy very affordable helicopter insurance. One rescue (like my bike accident) could have cost $15,000 had I not had insurance.
JackPedigo
Level 9
July 13, 2020
2
I live in the middle of the Ozarks where it is usually pretty quiet, but after reopening ( WAYtoo soon) our local rescue crews have been running non stop due to a lake that resembles a freeway , and people with zero experience buying up every kayak canoe and tube and setting out on rivers at flood stage. The strandings and drownings are off the charts
Even one lady taking a 2 year old out in a tube. No more 2 year old. The sheer number of drownings and drunk boating accidents ( not to mention the never seen before level of trash dumping) since the reopen is mind boggling.
wolf041
Level 7
July 13, 2020
1
@Wolf0741
In the past five years, 100% of people who drowned in the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers did not use a flotation device (life preserver), according to the Chelan County sheriff.
@LiterateHiker I lived near the Columbia years ago. It was common knowledge that trying to swim in it was basically suicide..
@Wolfo41
That's maddening for homeowners. I grew up on a lake in Michigan. There was a lake access site (boat launch)on the other side of the lake.
On weekends, a single speedboat with an unmuffled engine could shatter the serenity of everyone living on the lake. In the winter after dark, we got snowmobilers from Detroit. They roared between our houses, down the hill and blasted around the lake. Snowmobilers cut off the Mountain Ash tree Dad replanted each Spring.
Neighbor dads threatened to string piano wire between the houses to decapitate snowmobilers. Big talk.
@wolf041 I live where the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean meet. The area is beautiful and the Bar is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. I love being near the water and see it every day, the Columbia River, that is. But I am chicken to go out in it,. The currents are all over the place and twice a day the river flows backward. The area is called the "Graveyard of the Pacific.'
Do people like that have to pay the costs involved with s rescue, or is it the tax payer ?
Buddha
Level 8
July 13, 2020
1
That's a good question but it is probably moot anyway. People who do things like that probably have no insurance and very little financial resources.
Their insurance may cover some costs (if they have it), but usually they get a bill that they can never pay and thus, by default, the state/county or the rescuers end up with the bill.
@Buddha, @dumasarok, @Beowulfsfriend
In Washington State, mountain rescue is run by and paid by the county. In this case, Chelan County Mountain Rescue is mostly volunteers.
Helicopter rescue only pays for the first time a person is rescued. If the same person needs rescue again, that person shoulders the cost.
I see why you don't hike alone.
Mitch07102
Level 8
July 13, 2020
3
This is Robert Rittenhouse, Ph.D., who teaches math at Central Washington University. He is WAY above my climbing level. A passionate rock and ice climber, he climbs frozen waterfalls in winter. Yikes!
I met him through online dating. Note his helmet, ropes and climbing gear.
At 66, Robert is still going strong.
@LiterateHiker Sounds like a potential keeper 
Surprisingly, there was no chemistry between us.
Robert wants a rock climber for a girlfriend. That's not me.
@LiterateHiker It happens. He passed key screens, primarily intellect and being fit, but that doesn't guarantee spark.
Obviously not prepared with equipment or experience to make the climb properly
BudFrank
Level 8
July 13, 2020
4
Exactly.
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