Hiker’s life saved by concerned phone call
A German woman hiking near Stevens Pass Mountain Resort in the US was rescued by the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team following a concerned phone call from another hiker.
A German woman hiking near Stevens Pass Mountain Resort in the US was rescued by the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team following a concerned phone call from another hiker. The German woman, Katharina Groene, was attempting to hike through the Cascades to the Canadian border, but did not have adequate gear.
Nancy Abel first met Katharina during the hike and learned that Katharina had started off on a solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail at the Mexican border earlier this year and intended to continue to the Canadian border. Nancy tried to talk Katharina out of hiking so far north in the mountains so late in the year without the right equipment and experience, but Katharina continued heading north.
Having returned home and witnessed cold and snow moving in to the mountains, Nancy grew more concerned and called 911 to see if rescuers could check on Katharina. The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team launched SnoHawk 1 and was barely able to fly due to the snow and sleet. T
he team found footprints in the snow and managed to locate Katharina at the 5,000-foot level near Glacier Peak. She said she had attempted to call the day before but had no mobile phone service and, in her desperation, had left messages on her phone apologising to her friends and family for dying. “Katharina did not need any encouragement to climb onboard SnoHawk 1 and fly off the mountain,” said the rescue team in a Facebook post. “A huge thank you to Nancy .... who made the phone call that saved this young lady's life!”