ISSAQUAH, Wash. — During the pandemic, outdoor recreation is one of the few activities that has been deemed safe. Add to that nice weather and it has become a record-setting year for search and rescue teams helping those in the outdoors.
In King County, teams have responded to be about 450 calls for help. In Snohomish County, the number sits at 330.
Several days ago, Snohomish County Search and Rescue had to use a helicopter to help a climber who fell near Index and sustained a serious head injury and possibly a spinal injury. The rescue was, unfortunately, one of hundreds in what has turned out to be a tough year for the men and women committed to finding those lost in the backcountry.
In King County, they're feeling the struggle as the deal with the pandemic and try to help those who need them.
“We've had multiple calls running at the same time and so we've had to divide our resources,” Jennifer Brenes from King County Search and Rescue explained. “And to be fair, our volunteers are tired.”
Brenes said they'll likely end the year with between 650 and 700 calls. She said they'll always respond when the call goes out, but it's getting harder all the time.
“The entire system is taxed and has been taxed since March,” she explained.
Numerous factors lead to problems on the trail, including the fact that so many people are working from home or doing school online.
“People are unencumbered in their time so they have a lot more flexibility on when they can go and when they can go there so we're seeing exponential growth in calls right now,” Brenes said.
Social media photos that show perfect nature shots don’t help either, she said.
“It entices people to go out and see those spots. It doesn't tell the story of what gear was necessary or what skills were needed to get to that location,” she said.
The Washington Trails Association maintains a detailed website with a list of everything you need to bring and information about hikes around the state.