Racehorse Falls outside of Kendall in Whatcom County was the site of two high angle rescues in the past week, including one that involved a seriously injured hiker, and six total this year.
The picturesque 169-foot-tall multi-stage waterfall is only a short hike from the parking area on North Fork Road, with trails to the bottom and the top of the waterfall. But in between, the creek plunges over a slippery, rocky cliff face that is not accessible or appropriate to travel.
Whatcom County Fire District 14 Assistant Chief David Moe said incidents at Racehorse Falls comprise the bulk of the volunteer firefighting crew’s high angle rescue calls each year. District 14 serves the hilly areas of Kendall, Sumas and Welcome.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, in an accident that quickly received national attention, a 25-year-old woman survived but was seriously injured after tumbling more than 150 feet down the falls. Volunteer firefighters from District 14 rappelled down the cliff, packaged her into a litter and lifted her out of the canyon, then wheeled her to the trailhead. She was transported by the Bellingham Fire Department to PeaceHealth St Joseph before being transferred to Seattle. Her current condition has not been made public.
Only a few days later, on Friday, Sept. 13, District 14 responded to another call from hikers at Racehorse Falls. At the scene rescuers found an uninjured man who had climbed down to the top of the lower falls then couldn’t climb back out. He had to be put in a harness and hauled out on ropes. That kind of predicament makes up the majority of calls, Moe said.
“People are adventurous, they see it’s a cool spot,” he acknowledged. “I’ll be the first to admit it is really, truly beautiful, but unless they’re really athletic and have the right gear, they’re going to get stuck.”
Moe recalled a rescue from May 2018 that was even more technically complex than the Sept. 10 incident and required additional responders from multiple search and rescue teams as well as U.S. Border Patrol. There hasn’t been a fatality at Racehorse Falls in recent memory, but Moe wishes hikers would stop ignoring cautionary signs the district has posted around the falls.
“We’ve gotten to the point where the rescue anchors are physically marked, and the signs say ‘Call 911’ — it’s about as obvious as I can make it,” he added. “I wish people would respect that. Take the trail to the bottom, it’s fantastic, I highly recommend it. Don’t go over the cliff, it’s not a good idea.”
Despite some rumors to the contrary, patients who receive assistance from District 14 don’t receive a bill (aside from ambulance transport), but as Moe pointed out, such rescues cost the district in resources, manpower and time, as well as specialty training and equipment. District 14 firefighters frequently train for technical rescues with Border Patrol agents.
“All the cool terrain in this one little spot of the county — Border Patrol noticed that and so they train here all the time,” Moe said. “It’s like working with Navy Seals, it’s incredible what they can do. They’re always super willing to help.”
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
