Everett Mountain Rescue

2025 08 10 Vesper Peak On August 10th, 2025 A hiker with an ankle injury was extracted from Vesper Peak trail.

🌊Alpine Lake Safety: Cold Water Can Be Deadly — Even For Strong Swimmers

That refreshing alpine lake might look inviting after a hot hike, but its water temperature can be shockingly cold, often 40–55°F (4–13°C), even in late summer. Water under 70°F can trigger cold shock: an involuntary gasp, rapid breathing, and loss of muscle control that can lead to drowning in seconds.

Cold shock isn’t hypothermia. It happens immediately when you enter cold water. The rapid drop in skin temperature from entering cold water triggers a cascade of physiological responses.

🚨Your body reacts with:

🔹Involuntary gasping that can cause you to inhale water

🔹Rapid, panicked breathing (hyperventilation)

🔹Loss of muscle function and the ability to swim

🚨Safety tips before you swim:

✅ Enter the water gradually, let your body adjust before submerging.

✅ Never swim alone.

✅ Avoid plunging in if your body temp is already high from hiking.

✅ Control your breathing. Focus on slow, steady breaths.

✅ Limit how far you swim. Fatigue sets in faster in cold water.

✅ Respect the water.

Even strong swimmers can be overwhelmed by cold water. Respect the cold, swim smart, and come home safe. 🏔💙

Throwback to Our Winter Training ❄️🏔️

With this midsummer heatwave, it’s hard not to miss the crisp winter air and snowy mountains!

Reminiscing about snow and cooler temps, our recent winter training was a fantastic opportunity for the team to sharpen important skills like building snow shelters, testing different snow anchors, and practicing litter packouts in snowy conditions.

These hands-on exercises are vital for preparing us to respond safely and effectively during winter rescue missions. Beyond the technical work, we also enjoyed camping together in our favorite mountain setting, strengthening teamwork and camaraderie along the way!

Stay cool out there! 😎🤘🏼

This weekend, EMR teams dedicated their time to a training focused on search techniques—an essential skillset for mission and as we prepare for reaccreditation this August.

From grid searches to rapid deployment strategies, our teams put in the hard work to ensure we’re ready to respond when it matters most.

You can support our teams by donating—your generosity helps keep our crews trained, equipped, and ready. Donate at everettmountainrescue.org.

It’s been a busy few weeks for SAR! Many of our Mountain Rescue members also volunteer with other incredible teams across Snohomish County, such as Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team, Snohomish County 4X4 Search & Rescue, ground teams and others.

We are so proud of the dedication and commitment of our members in serving those in our community! Thank you for all that you do!

Huge thanks to Mick from Kaf Adventures for coming out to our meeting last night and running a rock rescue demo for the team! 🙌

We always appreciate the chance to learn from experts in our community to help us grow not just in rescue, but in our personal rope skills too.

It’s trainings like these that keep us sharp and help build confidence in the vertical environment. Thanks again, Mick!

This weekend, Everett Mountain Rescue had the opportunity to train with Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team on low hover operations—an essential skill for inserting teams into remote or technical terrain during missions. 🏔️🚁

Knowing how to safely operate around a helicopter is critical in our line of work. Whether we’re responding to an injured hiker deep in the wilderness or accessing terrain that vehicles can’t reach, these skills ensure we can move quickly, safely, and effectively.

Big thanks to the flight crew for sharing their time and expertise. Training like this keeps our team sharp and mission-ready!