Olympic National Park rescue ‘by far the most difficult’ of Coast Guard commander’s career
May 4, 2021, 7:00 AM | Updated: 10:33 am
Image of Lunch Lake in Seven Lakes Basin at Olympic National Park, July 2019. (National Parks Service Photo, Brendan Fluckiger)
(National Parks Service Photo, Brendan Fluckiger)
A U.S. Coast Guard commander called it the “most difficult” rescue of his career, after two hikers had to be airlifted to safety while stranded on a remote cliff in Olympic National Park.
The Coast Guard says the pair climbed up to the ledge after retreating from rising tides.
A helicopter crew eventually rescued them at around 2 a.m. Sunday, hovering 240 feet above the hikers after deploying a rescue swimmer.
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鈥淭he time of day and location of the hikers made this, by far, the most difficult hoist of my career,鈥� Lt. Cmdr. Sammy Hill, the aircraft commander for the rescue, . 鈥淭his was also the first operational rescue for both our rescue swimmer and flight mechanic. Considering the dark and perilous conditions, they did a commendable job saving the lives of these two people in their unprecedented first rescue.鈥�
Both hikers were reported in good condition following the rescue, and were safely transported to nearby Forks Airport.
