Injured teen brought to safety in Green River Gorge rescue

A teenage boy was rescued Tuesday afternoon after suffering injuries while jumping into the Green River, near the Green River Gorge Resort, authorities said.

The call to 911 was made shortly after 3 pm, and brought firefighters from the King County Fire District 44/Black Diamond, Enumclaw, the Valley Regional Fire Authority, Renton, Tukwila, South King Fire and Rescue, and the Puget Sound RFA. Members of the King County Sheriff’s office were also dispatched along with their water rescue team.

The first rescuers to reach the patient found the boy awake with serious injuries from striking the many large rocks that line the river.

After finding an open area along the river, firefighters used a basket lowered by the Sheriff office’s helicopter, Guardian 2, to remove the patient from the bank of the river. The patient, in the basket, was winched up into the helicopter and flown to a local hospital.

No further information is available on the patient’s condition.

This is the second rescue in this part of the Green River this summer and is a reminder to anyone to consider these safety tips:

• Always wear a life jacket, and ideally, a helmet

• Swim with a friend and always have a cell phone

• Remember that the river temperature is 48 to 52 degrees

• Supervise children carefully

• Remember that alcohol and water activities should not be mixed

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