Olympia High School Seniors John Teters and Jay Harner Rescue Three Stranded Hikers

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By Gail Wood

creative officeOn February 8, as John Teters and Jay Harner hiked along a soggy Olympic National Forest trail heading to Upper Lena Lake, the unexpected happened.

About two miles into their 14-mile hike, their day outing turned into a rescue.

Up ahead, on the other side of a swollen Lena Creek, Teters and Harner, seniors at Olympia High School, spotted two women, waving excitedly at them. The women began shouting at them, but because of the roar of the creek they couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“We were having to shout things over and over,” Teters said. “We were about 20 feet apart and we couldn’t hear them.”

hiker rescue lena
John Teters (left) and Jay Harner are seniors at Olympia High School. The students rescued three stranded hikers while on a hike at Lena Lake on February 1.

After a few exchanges, Teters and Harner understood. Bonnie Liberty, her husband, Terry, and friend Michelle, were trapped, unable to cross the Lena Creek, which was swollen by two days of pouring winter rain. Three days earlier on Friday, February 6, the three hikers began what was supposed to be a day outing, a four-mile hike to Lower Lena Lake.

By the time Teters and Harner showed up on Sunday, February 8, a soaked Bonnie, Terry and Michelle had spent the last two nights sitting under a rock overhang, catching naps and trying to stay warm by snuggling together. Since it was only supposed to be a day outing, they had no tent and not enough food. They were starving, soaked and cold.

“We were so glad to see them,” said Bonnie, who lives in Olympia. “They were so helpful.”

After hearing they had been without food, Teters tossed a bagel to them across the creek. Harner gave them his power bars.

“We knew they were hungry,” Harner said.

The two high school friends bumped into the stranded hikers at 12:47 on Sunday afternoon. Bonnie and Michelle were searching for an alternate route across Lena Creek when their rescuers appeared. Terry, who is in his late 60s, was back at the spot they had slept the previous two nights, resting.

hiker rescue lena lake
John Teters and Jay Harner found a passable section of Lena Creek that made it possible for Terry Liberty to cross to safety.

With their food – cheese, sandwiches and power bars – gone by Saturday afternoon, the three hikers were hungry.

“I was pretty fearful through the whole thing,” Terry said. “The first time I saw that creek on our way back I knew we were in deep kimchee. We were already soaking wet.”

Quickly, Teters and Harner began searching for a route across Lena Creek. They found a spot where the creek separated into three forks and the water was no more than about knee deep. Teters and Harner were able to balance across fallen logs and jump from rock to rock to cross the creek. But the three weary hikers – Bonnie and Terry are in their late 60s and Michelle is in her mid 30s – just walked through the water.

“It was hard for us to get them up to the crossing,” Harner said. “They’re older. And I think it was because of a lack of nutrition. All they had to eat that day was the bagel we gave them.”

Despite their circumstance, the three trapped hikers kept calm.

“Bonnie can tell you too I think we all stayed incredibly steady through that whole period,” Terry said. “All three of us. I think we were all focused on what do we need to do next. What’s the best thing to do right now.”

On Friday, hiking in a steady downpour, Terry, Bonnie and Michelle crossed a bridge over Lena Creek at about noon and headed to Lower Lena Lake. When they returned several hours later, the creek had risen, making it impossible for them to reach the bridge and cross. The creek was too swift for them to wade across.

“It was very risky,” Bonnie said. “We couldn’t cross.”

About the swollen creek, Teters said, “You couldn’t wade across. It was flowing pretty fast. It was about waist deep at least. It’s not something I would have tried.”

After waiting and seeing no other hikers on Friday, the three trio spent the night hunched together under a rock overhang to get out of the rain. On Saturday, they decided to hike through the woods off the trail along the creek in hopes of finding a crossing to reach the road. But after several exhausting hours of searching, they returned to the same spot and spent night two there. Fortunately for them, the temperatures were only in the low 40s.

hiker rescue lena lake
Michelle, Bonnie, Terry and their dog show appreciation for the help they received to cross Lena Creek.

“We eventually decided that going cross country was just way too rough so we had to turn around and go back,” Terry said. “The final decision was that we really needed to be where people could find us. Going cross country means no one can find you.”

After reaching them, it was clear to Teters and Harner that the three hikers were in bad shape. They were soaked, muddy and hungry.

“Their hands were white, crinkled,” Teters said. “They showed signs of hyperthermia.”

Harner and Teters showed their new lost friends the way back to the parking lot where their cars were parked. Then Harner and Teters headed to a restaurant in Olympia.

“We had given all our food away,” Teters said.

It didn’t bother them that they didn’t get to hike to Upper Lena. They did something more important.

“It definitely felt good,” Teters said about their part in a rescue. “It was more rewarding than going to the upper lake.”

Jacob said, “I’d have never guessed in a million years that when I woke up that morning we’d help missing hikers.”

There were no tears of joy when the three hikers spotted their rescuers. There was just a sense of relief. They knew another night in the woods could have been the end for them.

“I had some misgivings that night three was going to be possible,” Terry said.

Bonnie was thankful their rescuers showed up. She was impressed that their helping hand wasn’t seen as an inconvenience.

“They were just so happy to be able to have an opportunity to help somebody,” Bonnie said. “They were polite and concerned with every step that we took as they guided us over the creek.”

 

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