Welcome to Skagit County
July 21st, 2006
LOST HIKERS RESCUED FROM WHISTLE LAKE RECREATION AREA
ANACORTES – On July 16th while on a family outing near Whistle Lake, a popular hiking area near Anacortes, five family members became lost in the densely forested area. The family, including a 7-year-old child, began their outing around 6:00 pm on a warm, sunny day last Sunday. As darkness began to fall, it became clear that they would be unable to find their way out of the myriad of trails before nightfall. Fortunately, the group had remembered to take their cell phone with on the hike and were able to call 911 for help. Skagit County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the area and conducted a search for the family. The rescue team, led by Deputy John Hamlin, Deputy Tobin Meyer and Deputy Brian Lehr, searched the area for several hours.
Just before midnight, Sheriff’s Deputies, assisted by a citizen volunteer and 7 members of the Explorer Search and Rescue team located the family and led them to safety. The hikers were a little cold, but no serious injuries were reported.
The two major factors that led to a successful rescue were the family had access to a cell phone to communicate with the rescue team and they kept their composure and remained in one location until the rescue team arrived. Deputy Hamlin, a Search and Rescue Deputy for the Sheriff’s Office, recommended “all hikers should carry a cellular telephone and a GPS locator in the event of an injury or if you are lost in the woods.” Deputy Hamlin noted that cell phone reception can be made from most mountain peaks in our county and many new cell phones are GPS equipped. There are also several inexpensive handheld GPS units available for hikers which can mark the return trail for you in the event that you become disorientated.
The Sheriff’s Office works in cooperation with city police departments, volunteer fire departments and Skagit County Search and Rescue to provide rescue capabilities through out the county. The Sheriff’s Department coordinates air rescues with the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard. So far this year, the Sheriff’s Office has responded to 22 Search and Rescue requests involving lost or injured hikers, boating accidents and a variety of other calls for assistance.
For additional information regarding hiker safety, contact the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit at 360-336-9450