Rescuers assist injured climber off Lower Index Wall

A woman who was climbing alone near Index fell into a crevasse on Sunday, Aug. 20.

Snohomish County Fire District 26 performed a high-angle technical rescue to reach the injured climber, who was stuck on the Lower Index Wall. Assistant Chief Ernie Walters said groups nearby heard the woman yelling and called in the emergency around 1 p.m.

Walters said responders were told she might have broken her ribs. Rescuers climbed up and found her in stable condition, he said.

The crewmembers set up rigging to help the woman rappel back down, Walters said. Once the woman was on the ground again, she made her way to an awaiting ambulance. Walters said it was unclear why she fell in the first place.

“She was lucky enough, she was still able to walk,” Walters said.

During the procedure the Gold Bar Firefighters Association asked media helicopters to stay away from the scene.

Walters said it is recommended to always climb with a partner. It was lucky in this case that the woman was still able to yell for help. No one was there to guide rescuers to her location, which added a few minutes on to their response, he said.

The Index Town Wall is a popular spot for rock climbing and bouldering. It is the most well known in Washington, according to the Washington Climbers Coalition, which owns the wall.

The spot is open all year, but closed briefly for falcon nesting in the spring.