A team of volunteer mountaineers rescued a man early Saturday who’d become hypothermic during a windstorm while hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail in Lewis County.
The national scenic trail runs some 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington from the Mexico border to Canada. In Lewis County, the trail winds through an elevated stretch of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, including the Goat Rocks Wilderness.
According to a Facebook post from Tacoma Mountain Rescue (TMR), the search-and-rescue unit that conducted the operation, the man had sent out an SOS Friday through his Garmin inReach satellite communication device.
Because of the severity of the storm, which included snow and wind gusts up to 60 mph, helicopters were forced to remain grounded and TMR was notified.
According to TMR, the man, who is in his 20s, was unable to walk. His tent was “collapsing in the storm” at about 7,000 feet of elevation.
The five-person team arrived at the trailhead around 9 p.m. and hiked about 8 miles. They found the man at about 1:30 a.m., stabilized him and brought him into a shelter.
“Two of our members spent the rest of the night in a two-person tent with him, keeping him warm with their own body heat,” TMR said in the post.
The team was met Saturday by members of Pierce County Explorer Search and Rescue, who reportedly hiked 5 miles to reach the unit. They came with hot chocolate.
According to the post, the TMR rescue unit finished their mission “rewarming” at Packwood Brewing Co.
“This mission is a good reminder of why a satellite messenger belongs in your pack,” TMR said in the post. “His SOS got help moving hours before anyone would have known he was in trouble.”
Founded in 1958, TMR is made up of expert mountaineers capable of conducting high-angle rescue operations. The team includes emergency physicians and paramedics.
The all-volunteer unit is supported by donations.
TMR is a founding member of the Mountain Rescue Association, which was established in 1959 in Mount Hood, Oregon.
To learn more about TMR, visit www.tacomamountainrescue.org.
