Portland Man Rescued from Mount Stuart Tuesday

A Portland, OR man, Pete Schoepke, was rescued off of Mount Stuart Tuesday after falling approximately 100 feet fracturing both legs.

Chelan County Sgt. Kent Sisson says they were notified around 12:30 p.m. by Kittitas County 911 who got the call because of the placement of cell towers, but they also had to call in air support.

"Whidbey Island Naval Air Station accepted the mission and as they flew over later in the afternoon the weather started moving in. They were able to insert a couple of medics from the aircraft in there, but they were not able to do a hoist due to the wind and the cloud cover that moved into the area where he was located."

A mountain rescue team was eventually deployed below the hiker, who was at about 8,600 feet, but the weather would clear enough for the Navy to fly in.

"They went up to where the patient was. They were successful in hoisting him and the two Navy medics into the aircraft. They came back and had to get fuel before going to Harborview Medical Center."

The Navy came back later to pick up a mountain rescue team that had been deployed.

Schoepke was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday.