"Hikers" stuck under the high steel bridge

The Steel Bridge over the Skokomish River is 685 feet long and 420 feet high.

More details have been released on Sunday's two separate rescue operations. The Mason County Sheriff's Office says both were reported about three in the afternoon, three minutes apart. The first call for help was for the hiker who fell 150 feet on Mount Ellinor. Five rescuers and a helicopter crew from NAS Whidbey pulled Shyloh Wideman, 37 of Olympia, from the ice field and took him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a head injury. Wideman was treated for his injury and released. This operation took about three and a half hours. The second rescue occurred in the Skokomish River Canyon under the Steel Bridge. Three 18-year-olds decided to hike into the canyon without equipment and got stuck about 400 feet down. Because of the steep terrain, rescuers lowered Mason County Fire District Five Firefighter Cass Monroe by rope to each hiker. Monroe attached a harness to each and firefighters at the top pulled them to safety. No one was injured.



The three have been identified as Kyle Holeman and Tyler Fifev, both from Shelton, and Roycholle McEloy from Tenino. When the three were brought to the top, a United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer was on scene to address violations of several Forest Service regulations by the three. A total of 17 rescuers from Mason County Fire Districts Four, Five, Six and 18 helped with this operation which took more than four and a half hours. Deputies at the scene said this is no place for a Sunday hike. The terrain is extremely dangerous. None of the three were properly equipped or experienced to make such a decent into this dangerous canyon. These people were extremely lucky to have survived this ordeal without injury.