Hiker Survives 1,200-Foot Fall in Olympic National Forest

Rescue operation launched after avalanche on Mt. Ellinor, hiker located with help of flashing light.

A 30-year-old hiker fell more than 1,200 feet down a ravine in the Olympic National Forest after an avalanche on Mt. Ellinor.
The hiker's companion was unable to find him after the fall, prompting a search and rescue operation by the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Rescue crews located the hiker with the help of a flashing light near a boulder field, more than 1,200 feet below the initial fall.
The hiker was quickly airlifted to safety due to concerns of triggering another avalanche.
The hiker was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a broken arm, symptoms of hypothermia, and significant abrasions.