JSAR was requested at 16:47 on Memorial Day to respond to the area of Silver Lakes for a reported snowboarder with a compound fracture of his leg. Information about the subject’s condition and location and the trailhead the group was using to get to the location was spotty. Eight JSAR members responded along with a JCSO SAR deputy. A request for additional resources brought eleven members of Olympic Mountain Rescue to the scene as reinforcements and in case any technical rescue work was needed in the backcountry.
Navy Air Station Whidbey Island SAR was summoned to assist in the search and rescue of the injured subject from the air. While the first ground teams were on the trail, Navy helicopter Rescue 58 attempted a flight but was unable to get below the clouds and fog to locate the injured subject.
Three JSAR ground teams totaling seven personnel, including four EMTs, hiked toward Silver Lakes — a fast-and-light team followed two teams carrying additional equipment to treat and move the subject.
At approximately 20:36, the first ground team made visual contact with the group of snowboarders and made their way around Silver Lake to them. Forty minutes before, the team had scrambled up a ridge to obtain radio contact with base and reported the clouds had started to break, with a possibly usable opening around Silver Lake.
Team 1 reached and began assessing the patient, marking a landing zone and relaying medical and weather information through a radio relay to base in preparation for a return helicopter attempt.
Rescue 58 returned to the air over the scene at 21:03 and made radio and visual contact with the JSAR team located with the subject near the landing zone. After continued weather issues with visibility in the area, Rescue 58 was able to land near the injured snowboarder at approximately 21:45. The subject was flown to Harborview Medical Center for further treatment.
