A Navy UH3H Sea King SAR helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island rescued two Bellingham hikers from a stranded position on Mount Baker just before dark Monday, July 25.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., the Whatcom County Sheriff’s office called Whidbey’s duty officer, requesting that the Navy dispatch a SAR helicopter to rescue two male hikers, ages 24 and 20, stranded on Mount Baker’s north face. Wearing only shorts and T-shirts, the hikers were on a very steep gravel slope that precluded them from climbing safely up or down.

The men used a cell phone to contact the Sheriff for help but because of the late hour, a sheriff’s ground team would not be able to recover the hikers before dark.

The Sheriff’s department called the naval air station with a SAR request, providing the hikers’ rough position. Firewood 6, a Navy UH3H SAR helicopter, launched at 8:05 p.m. and headed to the given position.

After a 15-minute search and through radio coordination with the sheriff, who was in cell phone communication with the hikers, the hikers were located on a sheer gravel covered slope at the 5,300-foot level of a northeast ridge.

The pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Dave Brunkhorst, held a stable hover as Aviation Electronics Technician Petty Officer 3rd Class Shawn Downing was sent down on the hoist to evaluate the victims and ready them for recovery.

Both hikers were safely recovered at 8:50 p.m. and transported to a near-by parking lot.  Firewood 6 returned to NASWI at 9:35 p.m.

Success hinged on the crew’s ability to overcome the limiting factor of an 8:54 p.m. sunset and rapidly approaching darkness. Any delay in requesting assistance from Whidbey SAR or an extended search to locate the victims would have prevented the rescue.

Both victims were uninjured and grateful to be picked up. Members of the crew were Lt. Aircraft Commander, Cmdr. Dave Brunkhorst; co-pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Dave Schneider; crew chief, Aviation Structural Mechanic Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Ostertag; and helicopter in-flight rescue assistant, Aviation Electronics Technician Petty Officer 3rd Class Shawn Downing stand in front of a UH-3H Sea King helicopter used for rescues.