Video shows rescuers treating mountain climber who fell 50 feet

An emergency crew rescued an injured hiker who fell 50 feet from the summit of a mountain in Washington state on Saturday, video shows. 

The footage, released by local law enforcement, captured the challenging search and rescue operation as members of the King County Sheriff Air Support team scanned the vast wilderness surrounding Mount Si by helicopter. Located about 35 miles east of Seattle, the mountain's popular hiking trail ascends more than 3,000 feet over the course of just a handful of miles, according to the Washington Trails Association. 

At the summit of Mount Si is Haystack Rock, where the hiker fell and may have suffered a head injury, law enforcement said. Cloud cover originally prevented rescuers from reaching him, in addition to wind and snow as the elevation climbed to 4,100 feet.

"Once we had a break in the weather, we successfully rescued him and flew him to Harborview," the air support team said in a statement. Harborview Medical Center is a hospital in Seattle.

Video shows the rescue team hovering above the mountain while thick clouds obscured the view of the landscape below. Eventually, several crew members descended downward from the helicopter on ropes, retrieved the hiker and hoisted him back up.

More than 100,000 people hike Mount Si every year, the Washington Trails Association says, noting that the trail covers 8 miles roundtrip and includes an elevation gain of 3,150 feet. 

The organization describes the trail as "a kind of sweet spot for experienced and novice hikers alike," because it's difficulty level provides "enough of a test for bragging rights" without being "so tough as to scare people away." Experienced climbers often hike the mountain with weighted packs in early spring, as they prepare to climb Washington's tallest peak at Mount Rainier, it says, noting that "switchbacks and climbing begin almost as soon as you leave the trailhead."