WENATCHEE — A Portland hiker was rescued after he fell 100 feet off Mt. Stuart, mountain in Washington state’s Cascade Range.
KOMO-TV reports a call for help came in just after noon Tuesday from the 43-year-old man who said he had a badly broken leg after the fall while descending the Cascadian Couloir route, according to Sgt. Ken Sisson with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
Bad weather thwarted several attempts by a Navy rescue helicopter to land near the hiker, who was around the 8,600 foot level, but crews were able to drop off two Navy medics at a lower elevation so they could hike up to the injured victim.
After several hours of waiting out the weather, an additional rescue crew from Chelan County was dropped off down below to help bring the hiker to a lower elevation. But shortly thereafter, the weather did clear near the hiker and the Navy chopper was able to hoist the hiker and the two Navy medics on board.
The hiker was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he was listed in serious but stable condition. The Navy crew then went back to grab the Chelan County rescuers and return them to Wenatchee.
