[Schroder]

Whidbey SAR Rescues Man on Mt. Ellinor NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. – A Search and Rescue (SAR) team from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island rescued a hiker who had fallen more than 1,200 feet down a ravine on Mt. Ellinor in the Olympic National Forest Saturday, December 16, 2023. The 30-year-old male hiker had fallen down the ravine near the top of the mountain and his hiking partner was unable to find or contact him. Shortly after 6:20 p.m., the SAR crew launched from NAS Whidbey Island Ault Field and they made contact with the Mason County Search and Rescue Incident Commander once on scene. After finding no trace of the hiker near the top of the mountain, the SAR crew began a search at the bottom of a large avalanche runout some 1,000 feet down slope from the top of the mountain. During that search they saw a flashing light near a boulder field slightly below the avalanche runout, and more than 1,200 feet below where he initially fell. The SAR crew lowered a crew member to the hiker’s location and, concerned with the risk of further avalanches or rock falls, quickly hoisted the patient back aboard the helicopter. The patient was transported to Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. by 7:45 p.m. with a broken arm, symptoms of hypothermia and significant abrasions. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island SAR has conducted 43 missions this calendar year, which includes 4 MEDEVACs, 6 searches and 33 rescues. The Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from NAS Whidbey Island as search and rescue/medical evacuation (SAR/MEDEVAC) platforms for the EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation. Pursuant to the National SAR Plan of the United States, the unit may also be used for civil SAR/MEDEVAC needs to the fullest extent practicable on a non-interference basis with primary military duties according to applicable national directives, plans, guidelines and agreements; specifically, the unit may launch in response to tasking by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (based on a Washington State Memorandum of Understanding) for inland missions, and/or tasking by the United States Coast Guard for all other aeronautical and maritime regions, when other assets are unavailable. Navy Photo courtesy of NAS Whidbey Island SAR – A photo taken through night vision device shows the presumed fall path of a hiker from near the top of Mt. Ellinor, Wash., on December 16, 2023.

[Stefan]

thank you search and rescue. you are valued.

[Lightning_bug]

Would anyone happen to know if the chute pictured is the standard winter route chute? I have only been up Ellinor once, via the summer route. I'm a little curious to know if the climber took a spill on the winter or summer route... or perhaps, maybe he fell from the top, like the article seems to imply. I have always wanted to climb Ellinor in winter, but this makes me think twice. In any case, I'm glad to hear he survived this fall. Really incredible and very lucky.

[Stefan]

That looks like it would be the northeast couloir which is not on the route. The lights in the background give me an indication of the direction of which way the picture was taken. My guess. I suspect the person was probably walking on the ridgeline and a cornice broke. But then again, that is my assumption. No facts.

[reststep]

According to the north arrow in the picture the picture may be looking kind of southeast.

[meck]

Here is a shot of what I believe to be the chute the hiker went down, taken from Mt Washington to the NNE.

3 labels

[IanB]

[altasnob]

[peter707]

The text is ambiguous on if a person was caught in an avalanche - my reading of it is that a person fell down an avalanche chute, with previous avalanche debris in it. But I could be reading it wrong. I don't see it in NWAC. Also, forecast was 1/1/1: https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/#/forecast/1/126826, https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/#/forecast/1/126882

[altasnob]

[lopper]

A snowier view of Mt Ellinor