By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A hiker who suffered a leg injury on the Pacific Crest Trail southeast of Packwood was rescued last night, with coordination between the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian One rescue helicopter.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said it happened around 5:50 p.m. about three miles from the Walupt Lake Campground and deputies were dispatched after the activation of an emergency beacon on the trail.
Deputies established a landing zone at the campground, worked to direct the aircraft and contacted the female victim’s hiking companion, according to Breen.
Her hiking partner, a 29-year-old man from Klickitat, said the woman was not mobile but they encountered other hikers who had an emergency beacon they could use, according to Breen.
Breen said the helicopter ended up retrieving the 27-year-old Goldendale woman from the trail and flew her into the Packwood airport. She was transported by ambulance to Morton General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, he said.
The sheriff’s office transported the male hiker to be reunited with the victim and helped arrange transportation for the pair, he said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
So these hikers use the trail for free don’t pay a dime for taxes, hurt their ankle, instead of using a gurney they hire a helicopter at taxpayers expense. Where the hell was search and rescue and the puny explorerer unit to retrieve these hippies? This is a non life threatening injury and you use a emergency beacon for the hell of it? Charge this couple for false emergency reporting. In good weather you should be able to hobble or atleast gurney them out. Leaches! Charge them for the life flight!!!