Local News : Sunday, February 13, 2000

by Seattle Times staff

Two teenage boys were injured while snowboarding at Snoqualmie Pass yesterday, and a ski-patrol member was hurt while trying to rescue one of them in a steep, icy area.

The boys, age 15 and 16, were in an out-of-bounds area at the Summit ski area about 2:30 p.m. when their snowboards hit trees, said James Bergeron, an Eastside Fire and Rescue battalion chief.

The older boy, who sustained facial injuries, managed to go for help. Members of the Snoqualmie Pass Ski Patrol spent about 90 minutes searching for the younger boy, Bergeron said.

While taking him off the slopes, one of the ski-patrol members slid 50 feet on ice and hit a tree, injuring his back, Bergeron said.

Both boys were treated at Group Health Eastside Hospital. The younger boy suffered a broken collarbone and nose, according to a nursing supervisor.

The ski-patrol member was treated at another hospital and released.