Video shows rescuers treating mountain climber who fell 50 feet

U.S. Video shows rescuers treating injured hiker who fell 50 feet on Washington mountain By Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor News Editor Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek. Read Full Bio Emily Mae Czachor May 17, 2026 / 1:56 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google An emergency crew rescued an injured hiker who fell 50 feet from the summit of a mountain in Washington state on Saturday, video shows. The footage, released by local law enforcement, captured the challenging search and rescue operation as members of the King County Sheriff Air Support team scanned the vast wilderness surrounding Mount Si by helicopter. Located about 35 miles east of Seattle, the mountain's popular hiking trail ascends more than 3,000 feet over the course of just a handful of miles, according to the Washington Trails Association. At the summit of Mount Si is Haystack Rock, where the hiker fell and may have suffered a head injury, law enforcement said. Cloud cover originally prevented rescuers from reaching him, in addition to wind and snow as the elevation climbed to 4,100 feet."Once we had a break in the weather, we successfully rescued him and flew him to Harborview," the air support team said in a statement. Harborview Medical Center is a hospital in Seattle.Video shows the rescue team hovering above the mountain while thick clouds obscured the view of the landscape below. Eventually, several crew members descended downward from the helicopter on ropes, retrieved the hiker and hoisted him back up. Mt Si, May 16th 2026 by King County Sheriff Air Support on YouTube More than 100,000 people hike Mount Si every year, the Washington Trails Association says, noting that the trail covers 8 miles roundtrip and includes an elevation gain of 3,150 feet. The organization desc...