Father & Young Daughter Safe After Deception Pass Rescue
A father and his young daughter are safe after being rescued near Tuck Lake in Kittitas County on Friday.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says 36-year-old Jeffery Wulf of Olympia and his 11-year-old daughter began hiking from Deception Pass at around noon during the hottest part of the day.
Deputies say the trail system quickly proved to be too difficult for their skill level and Wulf called for help using a satellite communications device after he began experiencing a medical issue.
Volunteers with Kittitas County Search & Rescue deployed a three-person ground team at around 10:30 p.m. who reached the pair at just after 1:00 the next morning.
They discovered Wulf was severely dehydrated and showing symptoms of a life-threatening condition known as Rhabdomyolysis, which causes muscle tissues to breakdown due to a damaging protein that releases into the bloodstream.
Rescuers requested a hoist helicopter team from the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island who airlifted the two directly to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle several hours later.
The Sheriff's Office says Wulf and his daughter were well-prepared for the hike but Wulf's sudden heat-related illness should underscore the hazards of outdoor recreation during extremely hot weather for even the most-experienced people.
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Gallery Credit: Aly