Medics pull boy from Rattlesnake Ridge crevasse

Christmas Eve proved treacherous for a man hiking Rattlesnake Ridge with his 8-year-old son, who had to be airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after falling down a rocky crevasse.

By Brandon Macz • December 27, 2013 6:18 pm
A firefighter is lowered down with a Sked stretcher device to rescue an 8-year-old boy who fell into a crevasse on Rattlesnake Ridge Dec. 24.
A firefighter is lowered down with a Sked stretcher device to rescue an 8-year-old boy who fell into a crevasse on Rattlesnake Ridge Dec. 24.

Christmas Eve proved treacherous for a man hiking Rattlesnake Ridge with his 8-year-old son, who had to be airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after falling down a rocky crevasse.

Bellevue Medic 3 was one of several responders to the mountain ridge near North Bend on the afternoon of Dec. 24, where a boy hiking with his father fell 20-30 feet down a crevasse and worked to stabilize the child from inside the hole.

“The young man’s father was lifted out of the crevasse, as well, but he was uninjured,” said Bellevue Fire Lt. Rich Burke. “He was just there with his son.”

King County’s Guardian Two chopper was called in and Eastside Fire and Rescue handled rigging the Sked stretcher, which is used in tight situations and helps hold patients inside. Bellevue medics stabilized the boy, said Burke.

The child was lifted into the helicopter and flown to Harborview Medical Center in stabile condition.The entire rescue took about 4.5 hours, and also included King County Search and Rescue.