11/05/2024
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, along with search and rescue volunteers, were inundated with another round of search and rescue missions this past week.
On 10/30/2024, a hiker called the Skamania County Communications Center for assistance from the Loowit Trail, on Mount Saint Helens, advising he was “stuck” in blizzard conditions and unable to return to his vehicle. A Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator was assigned to the mission and began allocating resources from the Volcano Rescue Team. After an eight-hour mission, the hiker was extracted from the trail and safely returned to his vehicle.
On 11/01/2024, a mushroom harvester was reported missing near the Forest Service 93 Road. A Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator was assigned to the mission and acquired volunteers from both the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and Volcano Rescue Teams to assist. The mushroom harvester was located a short time later and was safely reunited with his harvesting group.
On 11/04/2024, another mushroom harvester was reported missing in the area of the Trail of Two Forests, near Mount Saint Helens. A Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator was assigned to the mission and contacted the Volcano Rescue Team to request volunteers. After a nearly five-hour operation, the Volcano Rescue Team located the lost subject and reunited him with the original reporting party.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind visitors and residents of the lowering temperatures, lower-altitude snow, and decreased daylight that occur this time of year. Always be prepared for adverse conditions and research your planned destination, as well as the weather report, before heading out into the wilderness. The Sheriff’s Office also expresses our continued gratefulness for the incredible volunteers who serve our community.