Navy helicopter pulls Injured backpacker out of Elwha Valley

A helicopter team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was called in to airlift an injured backpacker out of the Elwha Valley Wednesday morning.

Olympic National Park fisheries crew at work in the Elwha Valley notified Olympic National Park dispatch of an injured hiker on Tuesday evening, according to a news release from Olympic National Park. The crew was near Krause Bottom and had met a group on a backpacking trip who reported that a member of their group was injured.

The group told park workers a 70-year-old Bremerton woman had been injured on the first day of their trip five days prior. After the injury, the group continued to hike almost eight miles of their planned trip over the course of several days rather than walk out or seek help, according to the park.

Due to the time of day the report came in, park officials decided that park emergency services staff would hike in and evaluate the injured hiker the next morning, according to the news release.

At 10:05 a.m. Wednesday, park staff arrived at the hikers’ location to conduct a medical evaluation. Because of the severity of the injury, park staff determined that a litter carryout was not feasible.

A Navy helicopter team was requested. The helicopter landed on a gravel bar on the Elwha River and a paramedic provided medical treatment as the woman was prepared for a hoist. At 12:15 p.m., she was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the park news release said.

Park officials urged hikers to have an emergency plan in place before a trip. For information about planning ahead and staying safe while visiting and hiking in national parks, go to https://www.nps.gov/subjects/trails/hiking-safety.htm.

For information on planning a backpacking trip in Olympic National Park, go to the Wilderness Trip Planner guide at https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-trip-planner.htm.