PORT HADLOCK — A Navy helicopter crew rescued two hikers stranded in Tull Canyon south of Sequim after one became dehydrated Tuesday.
Ryan Shephard, 21, from the Redmond-Woodinville area of King County was treated for dehydration and discharged from Jefferson Healthcare hospital that night after the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island crew lifted the pair out of the canyon at 8:20 p.m.
His hiking partner, Nathaniel Middleton, also 21 and from the same area, had sent out a distress call on a family service radio, a type of walkie-talkie, at about 5:30 p.m. after the two ran out of water and Shephard became ill.
Marrowstone Island resident Dallas Fowler picked up the call and alerted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, which had requested help from the Navy.
Middleton told deputies that he packed Shephard with snow to cool him and melted snow for drinking water while they awaited rescue.
The Sheriff’s Office gave this account:
Middleton told deputies that he and Shephard, both experienced hikers, began their trek at the Lower Mount Townsend trailhead at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, headed for Silver Lake.
They hiked to the Tull Canyon area and spent the night near Copper Creek.
On Tuesday, they began hiking out, off trail, and ran out of water.
When Shephard became ill, Middleton sent out a distress call on his radio and activated his portable emergency satellite global positioning transmitter.
The transmitter company phoned JeffCom 911 Communications with the hikers’ location in Olympic National Forest.
Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Nole, who used to work as a ranger in that area of the forest, said that it was important to carry plenty of water, and that an emergency radio was always essential.
“You can’t always get a signal out there,” Nole said, “so these hikers were lucky.”
Nole said the quick service from the naval rescue helicopters also helped the situation.
“If they hadn’t gotten there so fast, the hikers may not have made it,” Nole said.
No Clallam County law enforcement was involved in the rescue
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
