A hiker survived a nasty fall in Washington yesterday afternoon. The woman was hiking at Racehorse Falls when she fell 50-60 feet, then “tumbled” another 100 feet down a slippery rock slope to the bottom. The Whatcom County Fire District 14 reported the incident and its crews’ rescue efforts on Facebook.
“Our crews rappelled down, packaged the patient into a litter, and lifted her out of the canyon,” Whatcom County Fire District 14 wrote in the post. “Firefighters then carried her out the 1/3 mile trail using our wheeled litter.”
From there, responders transported the woman via a medic unit from the Bellingham Fire Department.
Local news reports the woman was hiking alone when the incident occurred. Thankfully, after the fall, she was still conscious and able to call for help, despite her serious injuries. It seems miraculous she survived.
The fire department says this rescue is the fifth “high-angle” rescue at Racehorse Falls this year, and the most serious. Officials urge hikers to be extra careful when exploring near cliff edges and to always hike with a partner.
See photos of the rescue efforts here:
We’re thankful this hiker survived the fall and hope she makes a speedy recovery.
Have you ever witnessed a search and rescue while hiking?
