Jefferson Search and Rescue, along with members of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and one helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, were called out just before 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30 in response to a person near the top of Mount Townsend who’d been injured. 

According to a subsequent online post by Jefferson Search and Rescue, the person had fallen and was “unconscious, not breathing properly, with possible leg fractures and a head injury.”

With cloud cover intensifying over the area, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office immediately requested helicopter support in hopes of reaching the subject while weather permitted, officials reported.

“They also advised the state that assistance from other SAR units may be needed if rescue by air was not possible.”

In the same online post, Jefferson Search and Rescue said: “EMTs from Quilcene Fire Rescue went up the trail with medical gear to attempt to reach the subject. Four JSAR volunteers responded to the trailhead and followed the fire units with a wheeled litter in case ground rescue was required.”

The requested helicopter then arrived in the area and began searching the upper portion of Mount Townsend for the subject, as no more exact location information was available.

“Shortly after JSAR started up the trail, the helicopter crew from [Naval Air Station] Whidbey Island Search and Rescue reestablished radio contact and stated that they had reached the patient, who was being packaged by a Navy paramedic,” officials wrote. “The pilot soon advised they were returning to pick up the packaged patient, then several minutes later that everyone was on board and en route to Harborview Medical Center.”

The Navy rescue crew reported after the call that there were cloud layers around 5,000 and 8,000 feet, officials wrote. The two peaks of Mount Townsend are between 6,200 and 6,300 feet.

Jefferson Search and Rescue officials noted this was the most recent of many saves for one flight medic who has been present on many of their major missions (and others throughout the region) for the past five years. 

“While we will not name him here, he has been a part of the exemplary record of NASWI SAR assistance to local search-and-rescue organizations, bringing paramedic skills and advanced-life-support equipment directly to the scene via the highly skilled pilots and crews of the MH-60S Seahawks based on Whidbey Island,” they wrote. “The NASWI SAR team has made the difference between good and bad patient outcomes on many occasions. Thank you for your service.”