Cold Water, Quick Thinking, and Community Ensure Snowshoer Made it Home Safely
Winter travel in the mountains is beautiful — and unforgiving.
A mission near Source Lake shows how quickly things can change, and how preparation, fast action, and teamwork make all the difference.
About The Mission
A snowshoer set out alone on the winter route from the Upper Alpental Parking Lot at Snoqualmie Pass while other family members skied nearby. Spending time alone in nature gives our mental health a boost, we have recommended safety tips for traveling in the back county on our website. Along the trail, she reached a creek crossing — a log buried under several feet of snow.
Halfway across, she lost her balance and fell!
She landed flat and was fully submerged, soaking all of her clothing in freezing water. Although she was able to stand up, she couldn’t climb the seven-foot snow wall lining the creek. Standing in the water, she made a critical decision:
She called 911 immediately.
Even though her phone displayed “SOS only,” the call connected to dispatch. Her location data came through — a key factor in speeding up the rescue.
A member of Seattle Mountain Rescue was skiing at Snoqualmie Pass when the page from the King County Sheriff’s Office came out. Luckily he had his rescue gear in his car and arrived first to the command post. A passing backcountry skier stopped, helped her out of the creek, gave her a warm jacket, and stayed with her. By then she was violently shivering, an early and serious sign of hypothermia. Cold water immersion can lead to hypothermia much faster than people expect, even in otherwise mild winter weather. The Good Samaritan began helping her walk toward the trailhead, which is where the SMR team member met up with them. When the command vehicle arrived at base, the base operations leader kept it running to be able to provide the snowshoer with a warm environment. Shortly thereafter family arrived with dry clothing to change into.
A Reminder for Winter Travelers – Even short outings require preparation:
Carry the 10 Essentials, including extra insulating layers
Be cautious at snow-covered creek crossings
Avoid traveling alone when possible
Call for help early if something goes wrong
What Made The Difference
She called early
A Good Samaritan helped
Location data from cell phone
Warm vehicle near by
Dry clothes
When in doubt reach out
Seattle Mountain Rescue is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit SAR unit that responds under the authority of the Sheriff’s Office providing rescue services free of charge, thanks to community support and donors — and the best rescue is the one you never need.
