A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew stand on the Air Station Port Angeles runway shortly after medically evacuating an injured hiker near Olympic National Park, Washington, Feb. 22, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Sector Puget Sound)
SEATTLE – A Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew medically evacuated an injured hiker Saturday near Olympic National Park.
The 26-year-old man reportedly fractured his ankle while hiking on the Duckabush Trail, west of Hood Canal.
He reportedly crawled for eight hours before his phone acquired adequate signal to call 911.
A Jefferson County search and rescue team located the man at 4 a.m., rendered first aid and readied him for medevac.
A Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched at first light and arrived at the scene at 7 a.m.
The aircrew hoisted the man from his location and took him to Harborview Medical Center.
The man was reported to be in stable condition.
“We like to train for high-altitude rescues because of the mountainous region we operate in,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sam Hill, MH-65 pilot, Air Station Port Angeles. “Because of that training, we were able to overcome numerous environmental challenges to rescue the hiker from a dangerous situation. We thank Jefferson County Search and Rescue for their help locating the hiker and assisting with the hoist.”
