On 06/06/2024, the Skamania County Communications Center received a call from a hiker on the Cook Hill Loop reporting an encounter with a cougar. The hiker advised the cougar was lying down near the trail and watching him. The Communications Officer speaking with the hiker provided him with advice on dealing with wildlife while contacting Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The hiker was able to separate himself from the cougar and wait, safely, for Fish and Wildlife Officers to respond. The call was transferred to Fish and Wildlife for further investigation. No further details are available at this time.
Also on 06/06/2024, the Skamania County Communications Center received a report of a 35-year-old male swept over a cliff in the Lewis River at the Lower Falls area within Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator was assigned to the call and a mission number was requested through Washington State Emergency Management Division. Personnel from Skamania County Fire District 6 and North County Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and located the male patient. The patient was extracted from the area and transported to the hospital for medical treatment. No further updates have been received regarding the patient’s condition.