A Vancouver woman was among two people who died in separate outdoor excursions in Skamania County over the last few days.
Carrie H. Leete, 43, was hiking on the Panther Creek Falls Trail, just north of Carson, at about 1 p.m. Saturday when she reportedly fell and sustained a head injury, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies and paramedics responded to the scene, where they found Leete had fallen 15 feet down a ledge. When emergency crews reached her, it was apparent Leete had died from head injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
According to witnesses, Leete took a side trail, which involved using a rope system that had been left by previous hikers, the sheriff’s office said. Leete used one rope to reach a ledge, lost her footing and fell backward.
Rescuers recovered her body and transported it to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
“This appears to be a tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Leete’s family,” Undersheriff Pat Bond said in a press release.
According to social media posts made by Leete and her friends, Leete was an avid hiker and was engaged to be married in less than three weeks.
Apparent drowning
The second death occurred Friday evening when deputies responded to a report of a possible drowning in the Wind River north of Carson.
Myron H. Creager, 73, of Durham, Ore., had been wading in the river rock-hounding with Douglas Cooper, 73, of Portland. Creager said he turned and saw Cooper go under the water, the sheriff’s office reported.
Creager, a retired paramedic, was able to reach Cooper when he resurfaced and got him to a small exposed island, the sheriff’s office said. Creager attempted CPR for about half an hour to no avail and then summoned assistance at about 6:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies and paramedics responded, and a dive-team member retrieved Cooper’s body, which was handed over to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
Bond said that the initial investigation did not indicate suspicious circumstances.
Lost hikers
In addition to the deaths, Skamania authorities also responded to two calls about lost hikers.
Riley Eagen, 21, of Madison, Wis., called 911 at about 8:15 p.m. Thursday to report that he was lost on the Table Mountain Trail near North Bonneville.
He told deputies he couldn’t find his way back to his vehicle, parked at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa, and that he had some water but no food and was dressed in shorts and a long-sleeve shirt, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
A team searched throughout the night, attempting to ping Eagen’s cellphone, but the battery had died, the sheriff’s office said. A Coast Guard helicopter assisted in the search.
At about 11 a.m. Friday, Eagen walked out to his vehicle. Eagen later told deputies that he had a book showing the route, but he had tried to take a shortcut to save time.
The second incident of a lost hiker was reported at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday on the Silver Star Mountain Trail in Washougal.
Lily Xu, 24, of Portland and her companion Rayn C. Koffel, 29, of Beaverton, Ore., went hiking in the snow but eventually lost the trail, the sheriff’s office said.
They tried to call 911 but the call was dropped. Emergency crews pinged the cellphone to obtain a location and began a search mission.
Monday rescue
Members of the North Country EMS Volcano Rescue Team responded and made contact with the missing hikers at about 2:20 a.m. Monday. The weather had degraded to the point that the pair had been unable to move for seven hours, the sheriff’s office said.
Xu and Koffel were cold and wet but otherwise in good condition and rescuers escorted them back to their vehicle.
“This situation could have resulted in dire consequences had Ms. Xu not been able to reach our office for the initial call,” Bond said in a press release. “We are all very pleased with the outcome and are very appreciative of the NCEMS/VRT search teams and expertise of our search coordinator.”
