Rescuers find man who was stuck in marsh 20 hours

BELLINGHAM — Whatcom County Search & Rescue teams found a man Monday who had been missing for 24 hours in Smuggler Slough.

Crews located the man by flying a drone over the area and using its loudspeaker to call out to him. The man heard the drone and called out, alerting nearby rescuers, who made their way to his position.

The man was hoisted to a rescue helicopter operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and flown to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Authorities released no information regarding his injuries or condition.

The man, who has not been identified by authorities, was reported missing to Lummi Police when he didn’t return from a fishing trip, according to Deb Slater with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. Slater said it was reported his boat had become stuck in the mouth of the river.

When the sheriff’s office first received the call, they reached out to the Summit to Sound Search and Rescue, a volunteer organization that specializes in a diverse range of rescue operations.

Search and rescue teams responded to three other missions Friday, Sept. 6:

At 11 a.m. Summit Sound Search and Rescue, along with Bellingham Mountain Rescue, responded to a personal locator beacon activation on High Divide in North Whatcom County, specifically the Damfino Lakes area. When teams made contact with the owners of the beacon, it was confirmed the activation was unintentional, and they did not require any help, Slater told The Herald.

While returning from this call, teams were told of an ankle injury on the Chain Lakes Loop in the switchbacks just above Bagley Lake. Whatcom County Fire District 19, Bellingham Mountain Rescue and Summit Sound Search and Rescue all responded, and were met by Fire District 14 who had already made contact with the injured person. In total, 12 people arrived to help the individual back to her car, where her partner drove her to the hospital, Slater said.

Around the same time, search and rescue teams got a report of another beacon activation, this one behind Harts Pass in eastern Whatcom County, according to Slater. The activator reported they had lost their partner, and believed them to be injured. Before teams could meet the caller in person, they reported they had found the partner, who had suffered minor injuries, and the two were able to get out of the area under their own power.