A motorcycle rider was pulled out from beneath a South Seattle bridge Sunday afternoon after a crash at Swift Ave S and S Eddy St sent them off the bike and out of sight below street level, according to fire officials. Seattle Fire crews treated the patient where they landed while securing them in a Stokes basket and setting up an aerial ladder to lift the rider back up to the roadway. The initial update did not describe the rider's condition or explain what led up to the wreck.
According to the Seattle Fire Department, crews reported that the rider had been thrown from the motorcycle and “landed under a bridge” as firefighters worked to load the patient into the Stokes basket. The department said crews planned to raise the patient with an aerial ladder.
Firefighters are with the patient. They are providing care while working to load the patient into the Stokes basket.
- Seattle Fire Department (@SeattleFire) March 1, 2026
Crash Site On The SODO - Beacon Hill Line
The crash was reported at the intersection of Swift Ave S and S Eddy St, where the SODO and Beacon Hill neighborhoods meet in south Seattle. It is a busy stretch that sees steady bus and commuter traffic. Listings from Schedule Bus show a stop at Swift Ave S & S Eddy St, underscoring the intersection's role along a well-traveled corridor. The rider was found under a bridge at that location, which meant rescuers had to secure and raise the patient from beneath the structure to get them back up to street level.
How A Stokes Basket Rescue Works
Crews used a Stokes basket, a rigid metal, cage-like litter that responders rely on to secure patients in tight or awkward spaces, to package the rider before lifting. Technical-rescue training materials note that Stokes baskets are used when patients cannot be moved on conventional stretchers and must be hoisted with ropes or an aerial apparatus to reach safety. Course descriptions from MTS Rescue U outline the rigging and patient-tie procedures crews practice for these kinds of vertical raises.
What We Know So Far
Seattle Fire's initial update did not include the rider's age, gender, or condition, nor did it offer details about what caused the crash. Officials typically release more information after police and medical providers confirm key facts, and further updates are likely to come from city agencies. Anyone with firsthand information about the incident is encouraged to share tips with investigators through the usual Seattle Police Department channels.
