Hikers Taken To Safety At Pioneer Fire By Sheriff’s Office Boat

Ten hikers are safe after being taken by boat away from the Pioneer Fire on Lake Chelan over the weekend. 

The 10 hikers were in two groups along the well-traveled Lakeshore Trail, including one 16-year-old who was reported missing from one of the groups. 

Chelan County Emergency Management coordinator Sgt. Jason Reinfeld says the teenager actually ended up with the other group. 

"It sounds like the trail was pretty active, 60 plus hikers just on Saturday alone," said Reinfeld. "So, if he'd gone ahead or got separated somehow, it was definite that he was going to run across somebody." 

The Marine Patrol used Marine 1, a boat capable of transporting up to 15 passengers to locate and transport the hikers.  

It picked up seven hikers at Moore Point who needed transport back down lake.  

A report was later received from Global Rescue, a service that receives satellite emergency activations, saying there was a group of two hikers with a 16-year-old hiker near the Meadow Creek area.  

That group contained the missing teenager. 

He was transported to Prince Creek and re-united with his family while the remainder of the hikers were transported to Field’s Point. 

Reinfeld says they also passed out flyers at homes that were under evacuation notices on Sunday.  

"There's several cabins and huts, people who have some property along the lake," Reinfeld said. "They're remote, only accessible by boat. So, our marine patrol left a notice at every single dock between Canoe Creek and Meadow Creek." 

The homes were all in Level 1 (Get Ready) notice areas. 

Also Sunday, deputies contacted people at Canoe Creek who did not need assistance and contacted some hikers at Moore Point who were planning on continuing their hike to Stehekin.  

The Lakeshore trail is closed from Prince Creek to Moore Point. 

Reinfeld said hikers using the Lakeshore Trail in the area where the fire is currently burning will normally camp overnight on their way to Stehekin, which is at the northern edge of Lake Chelan.