Naval rescue helicopter airlifts injured skier from area near Mount Baker on Sunday
A 28-year-old man who dislocated his shoulder while backcountry skiing near Mount Baker was rescued and airlifted to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham on Sunday, Oct. 25.
A Search and Rescue crew from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island located the man in an area west of the mountain, the agency said in a release on Monday, Oct. 26.
Rescuers took off from Whidbey Island in a helicopter about 3:45 p.m. on Sunday and began searching along the ridgelines northwest of Mount Baker, according to the release.
They found the injured man and other skiers with him by 4:20 p.m. The crew lowered medics to prepare the patient to be hoisted up to the helicopter, which he was about 5 p.m., along with one other skier.
They were then taken to the hospital.
No additional information about the injured man was immediately available.
The Search and Rescue team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has conducted 49 missions throughout Washington state this year, including 36 rescues, four searches and nine medical evacuations, officials said.
