Rescuers airlift injured hiker from Mount Si summit

An emergency crew rescued an injured hiker who fell 50 feet from the summit of Mount Si in Washington state on Saturday.

The King County Sheriff Air Support team used a helicopter to search the area around the mountain, which sits about 35 miles east of Seattle. The popular trail climbs more than 3,000 feet in just a few miles, according to the Washington Trails Association.

The hiker fell at Haystack Rock near the summit and may have suffered a head injury, law enforcement said. Thick clouds, wind and snow at 4,100 feet initially blocked rescuers from reaching him.

"Once we had a break in the weather, we successfully rescued him and flew him to Harborview," the air support team said in a statement. Harborview Medical Center is a hospital in Seattle.

Video shows the helicopter hovering above the mountain while clouds hid the ground below. Crew members then lowered themselves on ropes, retrieved the hiker and lifted him back up.

More than 100,000 people hike Mount Si each year. The trail is eight miles round trip with an elevation gain of 3,150 feet, the Washington Trails Association says. The group calls the route a middle ground for both experienced and new hikers because it offers a challenge without being too difficult.