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Injured Cinebar woman rescued from steep banks of Tilton River

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 46-year-old Cinebar woman had to be hoisted by helicopter cable from the banks of the Tilton River yesterday after a river rafting accident the day before left her stranded with a dislocated shoulder.

The woman, her husband and their 14-year-old son had capsized at a water fall on Saturday evening, were tossed into the water and ended up spending the night on the rocky shore, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

She was injured when she struck a rock, according to the sheriff’s office.

The father and son hiked up steep terrain to the Bear Canyon Tree Farm west of Morton where they called 911 just before 7 o’clock yesterday morning, Lewis County Fire DIstrict 8 Chief Duran McDaniel said.

It took until 9:30 a.m. for fire department personnel to locate her, he said.

“It’s a rather steep bank, wooded and 750-feet down the river,” McDaniel said.

About 20 responders assembled yesterday morning as they contemplated whether to use a boat to get her out or the high-angle rescue specialists from Packwood Search and Rescue, according to the chief.

They decided it was not an option to float her out because of rapids and bringing her up the back would have taken too long, he said.

The sheriff’s office search and rescue coordinator requested air support and a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard in Astoria, Ore. responded.

“That was about 3 p.m.,” McDaniel said. “The helicopter arrived, basketed the patient. In nine minutes they were in and out.”

The woman was taken to the Salkum Fire Hall on U.S. Highway 12 where awaiting medics gave her something for pain and transported her to Providence Centralia Hospital.

The sheriff’s office said the family was traveling in a two-man raft with the woman in an inner tube attached behind the raft. They had launched about 4 p.m. Saturday from the Bremer Bridge at state Route 508.

None had been wearing life jackets, the sheriff’s office noted.