Rescuers hike 9 miles to save injured hiker from remote Idaho mountain trail
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TMX
ATHOL (TMX) — Rescuers in northern Idaho hiked nine miles round trip on a remote mountain trail to extract a hiker who had fallen and possibly fractured their leg.
The Timberlake Fire Protection District said rescuers responded at around 10:24 a.m. Saturday to a report that a hiker had fallen and possibly fractured their femur approximately 4.5 miles up a remote trail. The hiker’s location was “inaccessible” by vehicle or UTV, so crews hiked nearly three hours to reach them.
Rescuers also requested assistance from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office rescue helicopter, staffed with paramedics.
The ground crew reached the patient at about the same time as the helicopter. Photos shared by the fire department show ground crews and an aircrew paramedic packaging the patient for transport.
The patient was successfully hoisted to the helicopter and transported to a nearby hospital.
“The operation required a 9-mile round-trip hike with approximately 7,000 feet of elevation gain and loss,” the fire department said. “Thanks to the teamwork, dedication, and professionalism of everyone involved, the patient was safely removed from a very remote location.”
The scene was cleared and crews returned to service at around 5 p.m.
“Great work by all agencies involved and a reminder of the importance of regional cooperation in providing emergency services to our community,” the fire department said.