Clallam County Fire District 3 firefighters rescued an injured hiker Saturday evening from the Dungeness Spit using an inflatable rescue boat.

Battalion Chief Chris Turner reports that first responders dispatched at 7:50 p.m. April 13 to the New Dungeness Lighthouse for an Oak Harbor hiker in his 30s with an ankle injury, about four-and-a-half miles out on the Dungeness Spit.

A 9-1-1 caller said the hiker was unable to make it back to the Dungeness Recreation Area.

Firefighters determined they must deploy the district’s marine unit from the Dungeness Landing county park rather than drive out a utility task vehicle because they would not make the journey before the incoming high tide.

In the boat, firefighters traveled to the lighthouse to contact the hiker, assess his injury, and transport him and his significant other back to the boat launch.

Once back on shore, the hiker said he did not need transport to the hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery, Turner said.

Fire District 3 covers 194 square miles, including 51-plus miles of coastline from Deer Park to Gardiner. Turner said they can deploy the district’s inflatable rescue boat from multiple pre-planned locations for quick contact in a variety of water-related emergency situations.

The boat is checked weekly, he said, and they last trained with it in May 2023 for Boater’s Safety Week. About 10 firefighters are trained to operate Marine 34, Turner said, and other first responders can go on the boat so long as they’re accompanied by a trained operator.

He adds that the boat could be used in flooding situations, and it’s been used in search and rescue efforts, such as in the Elwha River.

Turner advises hikers be mindful of the Dungeness Spit’s rocky slope, distance and constantly changing conditions, while following general hiking safety tips to avoid mishaps. He said the potential for water danger is growing with the number of new visitors to the area.

For more information on Clallam County Fire District 3, visit ccfd3.org.

Photo courtesy Jeff Albers, Clallam County Fire District 3 Liz Hagaman, firefighter/paramedic, and Capt. Kjel Skov drive Clallam County Fire District 3’s Marine 34 boat out to the Dungeness Spit to rescue an injured hiker as he was unable to make it back to the Dungeness Recreation Area.