Crews save woman trapped for days after she drove her car off Chuckanut Drive
A 59-year-old woman told authorities she was trapped for three days in her car after driving over an embankment on Chuckanut Drive near Chuckanut Ridge Drive in Skagit County.
The woman said she drove off the road on Wednesday, April 22, but did not call 911 until Saturday morning, according to Kelsey Harding with the Washington State Patrol.
The injuries caused by the collision itself were not significant, but the woman was transported to Skagit Valley Hospital for health issues related to being stuck for three days, Harding told The Bellingham Herald.
Harding said the cause of the crash was distracted driving. Harding said she was unsure why the woman was unable to call 911 until Saturday morning.
The woman told dispatchers she was unable to get her phone to work until Saturday, according to reporting by The Seattle Times, which obtained the 911 call.
The vehicle had fallen about 50-75 feet down the embankment, according to Fire Chief Mitch Nolze with the South Whatcom Fire Authority (SWFA).
Rescuers had to track the woman’s cell phone using its GPS signal because the vehicle was not visible from the road, according to Harding.
Chuckanut Drive was closed in the area from around 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on April 25, as crews conducted a technical rope rescue to remove the woman from the vehicle and get her to medical attention.
State Patrol and Skagit County Fire District 5 were the first at the scene. SWFA was called to assist with the rope rescue around 11 a.m.
.jpg)