OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK – A 70-year-old woman from Bremerton who fell and injured her back while hiking in Olympic National Park last week, decided to tough it out and continue on with her group for 5 more days rather turn around or seek help.
A Park fisheries crew in the Elwha Valley came upon the group on Tuesday and called dispatch to report the situation.
After her injury, which occurred on the first day of their hike, the group continued to hike almost eight miles of their planned trip over the course of several days rather than walk out with their friend.
Because it was late in the day when the call came in, park emergency services staff decided they would hike in and evaluate the injured hiker the next morning.
On Wednesday morning, park staff arrived at the group’s location, conducted a medical evaluation and decided that, due to the nature and severity of the injury, it was time to call in a helicopter.
A helicopter team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island landed on a gravel bar on the Elwha River, hoisted the patient and transported her to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
NPS Photo: Navy helicopter hoisting injured backpacker.