A woman sustained serious injuries this week after falling and tumbling more than 150 feet down an embankment at a Washington state waterfall popular with hikers, authorities said.

The fall at Racehorse Falls near Deming, Washington, on Tuesday afternoon was the fifth one at the attraction this year, Whatcom County Fire District 14 said in a statement Wednesday.

The 25-year-old woman fell 50 to 60 feet initially then tumbled down an additional 100 feet of “slippery rock slope” before reaching bottom, the fire district said.

“Our crews rappelled down, packaged the patient into a litter, and lifted her out of the canyon,” the fire district said. “Firefighters then carried her out the 1/3 mile trail using our wheeled litter.”

A Bellingham Fire Department medic unit rushed her to a hospital, it said. District Assistant Chief David Moe said by email Saturday that the woman was stabilized at a hospital in Bellingham before she was transferred to a facility in Seattle.

Her exact condition was unavailable, he said.

Though the lush waterfall near the U.S.-Canada border and about 100 miles north of Seattle is a draw for hikers, its rainy climate and rocky environment can make for a perilous trek.

The Racehorse Creek area is home to 50-million-year-old leaf fossils, and ancient landslide, and a modern landslide that created a 90-foot scarp in 2009, the state Department of National Resources says in a primer on the area.

The waterfall itself plunges 169 feet, the department says. A warning sign at the attraction warns visitors they are near a cliff’s edge with no routine access to the bottom.

The Washington Commanders released WR Byron Pringle last week, and finally filled his roster spot today. Quinn was asked about bringing the veteran WR back, and he deflected the question yesterday. That spot has been filled by veteran LB Nick Bellore who was signed from the practice squad. He was elevated last week, and he led the team in special teams snaps(63%). He spent the last five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks working with Washington’s new special teams coordinator Larry Izzo.

Washington also elevated two players from the practice squad for tomorrow’s home opener against the New York Giants. CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr had thumb surgery for a torn UCL yesterday and has been ruled out. CB Bobby Price gets the call up from the practice squad over UDFA rookie CB Chigozie Anusiem.

Second-round pick Jer’Zhan Newton has been dealing with a soft-tissue injury in his foot, and was listed as doubtful. Washington elevated DT Sheldon Day last week, which meant Newton wasn’t playing in the first game of his rookie season. This week they’ve elevated DE Carlos Watkins. Dan Quinn said the team would reassess Newton today to determine if he’s ready to play. Clelin Ferrell also popped up on the injury report yesterday with a knee injury. He also dealt with knee issues during the preseason.

HAGERSTOWN, MD (September 14, 2024) – The Washington County Office of Emergency Management reports a significant water main break on Virginia Avenue near the I-70 overpass. As a result, the entire surrounding area is currently without water, and Route 11 is closed in both directions. Motorists are strongly advised to avoid the area due to high levels of standing water, which pose safety risks for drivers.

Crews are actively responding to the situation, and both the Washington County Office of Emergency Management and local fire departments have been notified and are closely monitoring the event.

Important Notice to Residents: We are aware of the water outage in the area. Please refrain from calling 911 to report water loss, as emergency services are prioritizing response efforts to manage the break and address immediate public safety concerns.

For further information, please contact Washington County’s Public Relations and Marketing Department at [email protected].

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