Watch this Coast Guard helicopter rescue of a hiker who fell at Olympic National Park

The U.S. Coast Guard helped rescue a hiker who fell at Washington’s Olympic National Park last weekend, video shows.

A 50-year-old Los Angeles woman fell and broke her leg in the Lake Angeles area of the park on Saturday evening, the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound said in a news release. The park’s officials, who worked with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, requested the Coast Guard’s assistance at 8 p.m., according to the release.

A Port Angeles aircrew responded in 20 minutes with a MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter, the Coast Guard said. Rescuers hoisted the hiker onto the helicopter less than an hour later and brought her to Air Station Port Angeles for treatment, according to the Coast Guard.

In 2019, Olympic National Park saw an increase in search and rescue operations, KOMO reported. The average number of incidents per year is usually 50 to 60, according to KOMO.

Several incidents that happened over Labor Day weekend in 2019 brought the park’s yearly total to 71, Olympic National Park said in a news release.

Olympic National Park encompasses nearly a million acres and 70 miles of wild coastline, according to the park’s website. The National Park Service (NPS) encourages visitors to plan their adventure ahead to ensure everyone’s safety by adhering to safety practices such as those listed on the NPS website.

This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Watch this Coast Guard helicopter rescue of a hiker who fell at Olympic National Park."