WASHINGTON — Two hikers are recovering in the hospital after a rescue on Mount Ellinor in the Olympic Peninsula. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a 51-year-old woman was hiking on the winter route and encountered slippery, packed ice.
She fell down an avalanche chute, sustaining injuries. A 16-year-old boy hiking with her also fell down the same chute and injured his knee.
Initially, the King County Sheriff’s Office attempted a helicopter rescue, but weather conditions led them to rely on ground teams from Mason County Search and Rescue.
Once weather conditions improved, the Coast Guard successfully airlifted the hikers off the mountain.
