OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A Navy Black Hawk helicopter swooped down to pluck out three Jefferson County hikers who were lost on Mount Angeles on Sunday.
Jake Robinette, 19, and Amanda Roark-Lujan, 21, both of Port Townsend, and Sara Winslow, 16, of Chimacum, were on a day hike on Mount Angeles south of Port Angeles on Saturday when fog descended on the mountain during their lunch break, park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said.
“They had intended it to be a day hike to go up Mount Angeles, and they made that climb successfully,” Maynes said Sunday.
Although the three were weak from lack of food and shortage of water, none needed medical attention, she said.
The three had called 9-1-1 for assistance late on Saturday, and park rangers had begun hiking to the scene.
The loose rock and treacherous conditions prevented the rangers and trail crews from reaching the group.
The three spent the night on the mountain, and in order to prevent another night in the cold, the park called in the helicopter, Maynes said.
The Whidbey Island Naval Air Station-based crew hoisted the trio and took it to safety, she said
“They were all flown to the [William R. Fairchild International] Airport and reconnected with their families on Sunday afternoon,” Maynes said.
