FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIKER RESCUED FROM MT ST HELENS AREA AFTER FALLING ILL
SKAMANIA COUNTY, WA 7/25/26
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, with the coordinated efforts of North Country EMS (NCEMS), the NCEMS Volcano Rescue Team (VRT), JL Aviation, and Clark County Fire District 13, conducted a mission on 7/24/26 to rescue a hiker who had fallen ill.
On 7/24/2026, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Dispatch center was notified by Washington State Emergency Operations Center of an S.O.S device activation from a hiker in Skamania County. The hiker advised they had fallen ill and were unable to continue hiking back to their vehicle. The coordinates sent by the S.O.S device were within the Mount ST Helens National Volcanic Monument on a trail north of Spirit Lake.
A Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator was assigned and began the coordination of rescue efforts. North County EMS and their Volcano Rescue Team volunteers were utilized in locating the patient. Upon locating the patient, members of the Volcano Rescue Team requested JL Aviation for an immediate extraction due to the patient’s deteriorated status.
JL Aviation was utilized in transporting emergency medical personnel to the patient’s location. Upon arrival at the patient’s location, emergency medical personnel determined LifeFlight was not needed. The patient and medical personnel were then transported by JL Aviation back to Yacolt, WA to meet their ambulance. Clark County Fire District 13 was utilized in securing a designated landing zone for the helicopter. Following the helicopter’s arrival at the landing zone, the patient was transferred to an ambulance and subsequently transported to an area hospital.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office expresses gratitude to the personnel from North Country EMS, the volunteers of the Volcano Rescue Team, JL Aviation, and Clark County Fire District 13 personnel for their dedicated service and unity of effort in the successful completion of this mission.
