A woman has died and a man remains missing in separate avalanches in the Cascade Mountains near Snoqualmie Pass, according to King County Sheriffs and media reports.
Around 12:49 p.m. Saturday, three men hiking to the summit at Granite Mountain off I-90 at exit 47 were swept away by an avalanche. One of the hikers said they had no warning, that the snow began to move beneath him following which he and his friends was swept down the mountain. Two of the three hikers were able to self-rescue and call for help. Other hikers in the area began searching for the missing third hiker to no avail.
The avalanche carried the hikers 1,279 feet at a top speed of 53 mph “in less than a minute,” according to one man who was equipped with a GPS.
Initial reports described the missing man as a 60-year-old experienced hiker from Kent. Media outlets later reported the missing man as 61-year-old Mitch Hungate, a Renton dentist who lives in the Lake Tapps area.
King County Sheriff’s Officer Search and Rescue responded, assisted by numerous other agencies. The search on Saturday was called off just before dark due to poor visibility and increasingly hazardous weather conditions.
The search was suspended indefinitely Sunday because of dangerous conditions, officials said.
A second avalanche on Red Mountain happened shortly after the first one off I-90 at exit 52. A group of hikers were caught in an avalanche while they were snow shoeing. The avalanche separated the group. All were able to self-rescue with the exception of one woman, sheriffs reported.
While not part of the group the woman was walking nearby. Following the avalanche the group realized the woman was missing. They searched and found her about 45 minutes later and dug her out of approximately five-feet of snow. The woman was not moving and was somewhat conscious.
SAR teams hiked in (two-plus hours) to reach the group. The victim was loaded on a sled and rescuers hiked her out through blizzard like conditions.
At the base medic’s confirmed that the woman had died. The woman remains unidentified at this time, sheriffs reported
As many as 100 SAR volunteers and numerous K-9 teams were used in Saturday’s searches.
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