205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 07/22/2022 - At about 5:30 pm on Thursday July 21st, 2022, Kittitas County dispatchers took a distress call from the remote Joe Lake area, along the Pacific Crest Trail in Kittitas County. 36-year-old Christina Ford of Camano Island had fallen about 120 feet down a snowy embankment, breaking an ankle or leg and hitting her head. She had hiked in 7 hours from Snoqualmie Pass that day with her husband and a friend.
The Sheriff’s Office and Kittitas County Search and Rescue (KCSR) were dispatched to assist. Because of the distance from the trailhead and seriousness of Christina’s injuries, the Deputy and SAR Coordinator overseeing the incident requested a rescue helicopter from the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit to attempt a hovering hoist rescue in the mountainous terrain. While awaiting the helicopter, a back-country KCSR rescue team prepared to head into the scene overland on foot and in the dark, if necessary. Snoqualmie Pass Fire & Rescue readied a hasty landing zone for King County’s helicopter, Guardian 2, in the nearby Hyak area and stood by in case Christina’s condition required an ambulance. Guardian 2 launched from its King County base shortly after 7 pm. Before 8 pm, the Guardian 2 crew had successfully hoisted Christina on board and were enroute with her to Harborview Medical Center. Rescues like last night’s are the product of teams working in practiced coordination. A dispatcher and responding Deputy gathered and routed the initial call information. KCSR volunteers dropped everything, as they so often do, when they received the callout. Deputies trained to coordinate SAR incidents from Kittitas and King counties worked to determine appropriate and necessary resources. And of course, Guardian 2 responded with their unique capabilities to deliver a patient from the remote mountains to the region’s finest trauma hospital in amazing time. Thank you to all who participated in this coordinated and successful effort to resolve an emergency; and thank you especially to the skilled operators on Guardian 2 and all the members of the King County Air Support Unit.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsett509-962-7525christopher.whitsett@co.kitttitas.wa.us
