Injured hiker carried 2 miles down mountain as weather thwarts helicopter, officials say

An injured hiker was carried down a mountain after weather conditions didn’t allow for helicopter assistance, Oregon officials said.

Rescuers with the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District tried requesting a helicopter to assist in the rescue mission on Saturday, June 22, but a marine layer was covering Saddle Mountain Trail, rescue teams said in a Facebook post.

Instead, personnel hiked just over 2 miles up the mountain, found the hiker and carried them back down in a basket, officials said.

After five hours of hiking, crews brought the injured person to a parking lot before they were transported to a local hospital, officials said.

Rescue crew members didn’t identify the hiker or specify how they got injured.

McClatchy News reached out on June 24 for more information and was awaiting a response.

Marine layers are an atmospheric occurrence that can cause fog or clouds to form near the surface, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Cannon Beach is about an 80-mile drive northwest of Portland.

This story was originally published June 24, 2024 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Injured hiker carried 2 miles down mountain as weather thwarts helicopter, officials say."