A routine hike in Washington's Olympic National Forest turned to tragedy. Two hikers died after being struck by a falling tree while hiking a popular trail.
A portion of a dead fir tree broke loose and went crashing down. The broken tree fell on a well-known trail near Lena Lake, smashing into two women. Another hiker in their group tried to get help for the two.
Both 70-year-old Christine Mutchler and 76-year-old Kathy Pickard died when the tree fell on them. Their friend, 74-year-old Kathy Todd, managed to avoid the tree and sought help. According to People, the tree crashed onto the trail midday on January 15. First responders pronounced Pickard dead at the scene.
Despite being airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Mutchler later passed away from her injuries.
Speaking with the Kitsap Sun, Todd said that she heard the tree break moments before it fell.
Falling Tree Kills Hikers
"We heard a big crack that I'll never forget," she said. Todd ran forward to avoid the falling timber. "I ran as fast as I could, and I'm sure they did too."
Sadly, the two hikers couldn't clear the area in time. Todd found her two friends unresponsive and surrounded by debris. Two emergency room doctors, who had been hiking in the area, tried to administer first aid to the two. Meanwhile, Todd made her descent down the trail. She managed to get to a spot where she had phone signal and called for help.
A helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island airlifted Mutchler to a nearby hospital. Paula Smith, Mutchler's sister, told the Kitsap Sun that Mutchler died "minutes before arriving" at the Seattle hospital.
Friends and family of the two hikers are mourning their passing. Sarah Rogers, a friend, says the two embraced living and tried to do as much as they could.
"Absolutely a light. Happy, active, energetic, and fun. Always out for a good time, in the best way," she told the Kitsap Sun.
The exact cause of the tree falling remains under investigation.
