Two thrill-seeking snowboarders found themselves in a dangerous predicament when they became trapped on a cliff in the Cascades of King County Tuesday night. The duo’s chilling ordeal drew to a close as King County Search and Rescue teams worked against the clock and the elements to ensure a safe rescue.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson said the snowboarders were clinging to safety near eastbound I-90 at milepost 50. The rescue efforts were to quickly mobilize, blocking two lanes of the interstate as crews climbed to reach the stranded adventurers. The entire mission, in the face of relentless snowfall, was documented by Johnson in real-time on social media where he praised the crews for doing an awesome job, according to a post on X.
The lanes that bore silent witness to the night's suspense were blocked for an hour, reopening to traffic flow by 10:45 p.m. as the snowboarders' nightmare came to an end. Both were "rescued and safe,” KATU reported the update provided by Trooper Johnson.
Despite the circumstances that led to their stranding remaining shrouded, their fortuitous recovery was assuredly swift after the call for help went out, as detailed in FOX 13 Seattle.
The region had been bracing for impact, with a Winter Storm Warning indicating that the Cascades were expected to receive a relentless barrage of 10 inches of snow in 24 hours. This information, a testament to the weather's erratic nature, was relayed by the Washington State Department of Transportation early Wednesday, with the background provided via KOMO News.
Details on whether the snowboarders sustained any injuries during the incident were not immediately clear.
