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Helicopter Team Rescues Hiker After Fall From Mount Si’s Haystack Rock

A brief break in snow and cloud let crews use a rope hoist to extract the patient.

Overview

  • The King County Sheriff’s Air Support unit, which moved in Saturday after a weather window opened, lowered rescuers by rope and flew the hiker to Harborview Medical Center.
  • Law enforcement said the person may have a head injury, and Fox 13 Seattle reported the patient was in critical condition as the full extent of injuries remains under review.
  • Eastside Fire and Rescue, Bellevue Fire Department medics, Seattle Mountain Rescue, King County Search and Rescue, and the Guardian One helicopter coordinated the complex extraction.
  • Heavy cloud cover first kept the helicopter away, and crews later worked through hail and snow as officials urged hikers to check mountain forecasts and pack emergency gear.
  • Mount Si draws more than 100,000 hikers a year over an 8‑mile route with 3,150 feet of gain, and the summit’s Haystack scramble can turn treacherous when wet or icy.