MOUNT OLYMPUS — An Ohio man who was injured in a fall on Mount Olympus on Tuesday was rescued by a Navy helicopter crew Wednesday, officials said last week.
The unidentified man had fallen down a 300-foot chute at an elevation of about 6,000 feet Tuesday, Navy spokesman Mike Welding said Friday.
He was rescued from the slopes of the 7,980-foot peak by Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue.
Welding could not identify the injured climber.
Olympic National Park spokeswoman Penny Wagner said the solo climber was in his 30s.
The man had fallen near Snow Dome on the Blue Glacier route. He was able to communicate with park rangers with a satellite phone, Wagner said.
Olympic Mountain Rescue volunteers began the 22-mile trek to the Blue Glacier late Tuesday.
The National Park Service maintained incident command and had a ranger in constant communication with the climber.
“He had to spend the night alone,” Wagner said Friday.
“He had been separated from his equipment. Hypothermia was definitely an issue.”
The overnight temperature dipped to 20 degrees at Hurricane Ridge, which is lower than the elevation where the climber was rescued.
When rescuers arrived, the man had severe hypothermia, a dislocated shoulder and a broken tibia, Welding said. He was flown from the mountain to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Two rescue attempts Tuesday were hampered by inclement weather, Welding said.
“The weather and low clouds made this one of the toughest missions I’ve ever flown,” said Lt. Evan Jester, Navy co-pilot.
The rescue was one of 34 this year for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue, which also has conducted seven searches and 14 medical evacuation missions in 2017.
The Search and Rescue unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
An Olympic Mountain Rescue volunteer injured an ankle en route to the injured climber, Wagner said.
The volunteer was airlifted to safety by Northwest Helicopters.
Meanwhile, a hiker who became lost after nightfall on Mount Storm King was found uninjured Tuesday.
“There were three search and rescue operations 15 hours apart,” Wagner said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
