Rescuers helped three men across Lewis River after dark, and cited a total of five people for violating closure orders.
First responders rescued three hikers Thursday from a closed-off area below the Lower Falls Recreation site in Skamanaia County.
At approximately 9:13 p.m., the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office received a report that three hikers had swam across the Lewis River, below the Lower Falls Recreation site, and were unable to navigate back across due to darkness. The Lower Falls site is 37 miles east of Cougar, Wash., in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
A total of 16 first responders responded, including Skamania County deputies, Skamania County Search & Recuse Team (SCSAR), and the Volcano Rescue Team (VRT), according to Skamania Undersheriff Pat Bond.
Upon arrival, deputies learned a group of five hikers were in the area of Lower Falls, and waited for others to leave the closed area before entering. Four of the hikers had waded across the Lewis River, but only one was able to make it back across, according to Bond. The others turned back as they were unsure of the current and it was getting dark.
The deputies, SCSSR and VRT devised a rope system and were able to rescue the three remaining hikers, all from University Place, Wash. They were Malek K. Ahmed, 19, Abdulgziz A. Alghazal 20, and Abduljalil N. Ahmed, 19. Also at the scene were Ahmed M. Debashi, 19, of University Place, and a 17 year old. All were cited and released for violation of the Skamania County Community Health Order restricting access.
“This is a perfect example of exposing first responders to COVID-19 unnecessarily due to the complete disregard of well publicized orders from our state, county, and local partners,” Bond said. “The area in question is well marked as closed.”
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