MOUNT TOWNSEND — A helicopter crew from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island rescued a hiker who was severely injured in a fall Sunday evening in the Buckhorn Wilderness area of the Olympic Mountains.
The Navy chopper crew responded after they received an alert from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office about a hiker who had fallen off a ridgeline at Mount Townsend, broke both legs and had a potential traumatic brain injury.
The rescue crew contacted the injured hiker’s wife, who helped guide the helicopter crew to their location and provided valuable information about approaching inclement weather conditions, Navy officials said.
Once the crew reached the location, they hoisted the couple aboard the helicopter and flew them to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The Navy’s Whidbey Island search-and-rescue team has conducted 38 missions throughout Washington state this year, including 27 rescues, three searches and eight medical evacuations, officials said.
