A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a hiker after he fell into the Hoh River on Friday evening and became unable to finish his hike in the Olympic Mountains. The crew of a MH-65 Dolphin hoisted the 39-year-old man who was suffering from hypothermia and frostbite and transported him to Olympic Medical Center for treatment, according to the Coast Guard.
A woman who was hiking with the man called for help after realizing that the man’s condition wouldn’t allow him to finish the hike. Despite limited communication due to a bad connection, his position was triangulated using cell phone towers, the Coast Guard said.
The helicopter crew launched from Port Angeles at 8:16 p.m., began hoisting the hikers at 8:55 and transferred the patient to the hospital at 9:41, according to the Coast Guard. The man was in stable condition, the Coast Guard said.