A Sitka Search and Rescue crew aided a group of tourists from Indiana over the weekend when one of them fell ill on Bear Mountain.
In an interview with KCAW, Sitka Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief David Johnson said that shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, the fire department received a call from a hiker on Bear Mountain who said his brother was feeling weak and dizzy as they were making their descent. The group of three hikers was advised to stay put so they could be easily retrieved.
As two Search and Rescue responders made their way to the trailhead, the caller reached out to inform them that his brother was feeling better and the hikers were going to continue their descent.
As the first responders were ascending the trail to Bear Mountain Lake, the three hikers were taking a different route down the mountain, and the two groups missed each other. When the hikers reached the road, they radioed the Search and Rescue crew, who then turned around and met them at the base of the hill. The dizzy hiker received a medical evaluation but did not request further medical care, and the Search and Rescue crew gave the group of hikers a ride out of Green Lake Road to their vehicle around 9p.m.
