Easton Man Rolls ATV Down Steep Trail, Trapped Overnight Before Being Rescued
An elderly Easton man is recovering after rolling his off-road vehicle down a steep incline and becoming trapped for over 12 hours late last week.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says the man was reported overdue by several hours in returning from a trip to the town of Easton at around 7:15 p.m. last Friday (Aug. 28).
Deputies discovered evidence from a traffic camera that the man had driven his side-by-side eastbound on Sparks Road about three hours earlier but were unable to locate him before nightfall.
The next morning, a team of firefighters reported seeing the man's vehicle traveling up Easton Ridge beyond a wildfire road closure, just before the man's family contacted police to report that he'd been found.
Officials say the man had decided to scale a steep and difficult trail along Easton Ridge, when his side-by-side rolled off the trail, trapping him inside its cab overnight.
The man reportedly told rescuers he was able to punch out the vehicle's rear window in the morning, allowing him to extricate himself from the cab and crawl back to the trail where he called for help.
Sheriff's officials say the man, who reportedly suffers from several medical conditions, appeared shaken but otherwise suffered no obvious injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
