Stranded in the woods, a man walked eight miles to get help for an injured friend after their truck went down a steep embankment near Washington's Mount Rainier National Park late Wednesday.
The accident happened Wednesday night near the town of Carbonado.
Pierce County officials said two men in their early 20s were inside a truck when the driver swerved to avoid a deer.
The driver lost control of the pickup and it went over a steep embankment, causing the vehicle to roll over multiple times.
The 21-year-old driver was not hurt, but his friend was unconscious in the back seat and had a hard time breathing.
The driver managed to squeeze out of the truck, losing his shoes in the process.
He climbed up the hill and then walked eight miles barefoot in the dark before getting a ride to the fire department in Carbonado.
"Just simply walking out of the off road vehicle park out to the road to the point where he could be found was a pretty heroic effort," said Deptuty Chief John McDonald, East Pierce Fire and Rescue.
The man lead searchers to where he drove off the road.
They quickly found the truck, but no one was inside.
As rescuers geared up with their ATVs to hit the trails, one of the searchers found the passenger's body about 500 feet below where the truck came to a rest.
The deceased man was identified as a 23-year-old man from Auburn.
Once the man's body was recovered, the friend who tried to get help was taken to a hospital.
McDonald said the man did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
TXT 24
Twitter
Facebook