Injured hiker rescued from Cascades east of Ross Lake by NAS Whidbey team

A search-and-rescue team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island rescued an injured 26-year-old hiker from Princeton, New Jersey, Tuesday near Slate Peak in the Cascades east of Ross Lake.

The search-and-rescue team was called to find a female hiker, who injured her leg and couldn’t walk, according to a press release. The team was able to quickly find the hiker after she used her trekking poles to form an “X” pattern.

The hiker was hoisted aboard a helicopter and taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham.

The Naval Air Station Whidbey search-and-rescue team has now conducted 29 missions in 2018 throughout Washington State, including 21 rescues, six searches and two medical evaluations.

Slate Peak stands 7,440 feet and is located in Whatcom and Okanogan counties near the ghost town of Barron. According to washingtonstate.wikia.com, it is home to the highest road as well as the highest fire lookout tower in the state.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Injured hiker rescued from Cascades east of Ross Lake by NAS Whidbey team."