Rescue Teams Work All Night to Rescue Colchuck Hiker

Rescuers spent several hours Monday night into Tuesday morning helping litter a 36-year-old man back to safety from a trail leading up to Colchuck Lake.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office Chief Jason Reinfeld says that RiverCom first got a call at about 5:00 pm Monday that a beacon had been activated by a hiker who had injured his knee and was now immobile.

"A ground team was assembled, a hasty-type team with a couple members from Chelan County Volunteer Search & Rescue and a medic from Cascade Ambulance." detailed Reinfeld, "They went in on the trail. A larger litter team was assembled to follow them in."

Reinfeld added that the area was difficult to get to, with the first team reaching the hiker about 11:30 pm. The litter team arrived around 1:00 am Tuesday morning, carrying the hiker all the way back to the trailhead by about 5:30 am.

Once he arrived back at the trailhead, the hiker then drove himself to the hospital.