VIDEO: A group of teenagers was safely rescued from a rock scramble near the summit of Mount Si on Memorial Day, thanks to quick thinking, a well-placed drone and a coordinated response from local rescue volunteers. The teens, who were hiking the popular trail on the holiday Monday, became stranded on a rocky section known as the โHaystack,โ a steep and exposed scramble near the top of the mountain. One person in the party called 911 to report they could not safely descend.
โThey got to a point where they were very uncomfortable to go down any further uninjured,โ said Doug McCall with Seattle Mountain Rescue. โThey did exactly what they should have doneโcalled for help.โ McCall piloted a drone from the rescue teamโs headquarters in North Bend, which allowed rescuers to quickly locate the stranded hikers. With a clear line of sight to the mountain, the drone provided live video to ground crews, who mobilized immediately.
Using guidance from the drone feed, members of the Regional Special Vehicles Unit deployed ATVs to reach the hikers. Volunteers secured the teens with ropes and guided them safely back to the trailhead. No injuries were reported. โThis mission allowed us to launch directly from our building,โ McCall said. โWe were able to get up and peek in down on the north side using a thermal camera and locate the group just as the drone battery was about to return home.โ
