Army airmen rescue hiker found by other hikers in Kittitas County

KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — After suffering face and head injuries, a hiker was airlifted to safety by the U.S. Army in Kittitas County.

Earlier this month, two hikers, Erin Kinney and Letitia Moreno, heard calls for help in a distant boulder field near Alaska Mountain.

The women followed the calls and found a 32-year-old man with serious injuries to his face and head.

The man fell 100 feet off a cliff and had to crawl through a snowfield to try and reach for help.

One of the women began to climb to get a cellular signal, while the other stayed with the injured man.

After obtaining a cellular signal, the woman dialed 911, and the call was answered by the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).

The KCSO coordinated the rescue with soldiers assigned to the United States Army Air Ambulance Detachment (USAAAD) “Yakima Dustoff,” 16th Combat Aviation Brigade to airlift the man and take him to Harborview Medical Center.

The KCSO credited the two women who happened to be out hiking for the day and the skills of the Army soldiers for saving the man’s life.

No other information was available on the condition of the man.

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