Friend recounts terrifying fall that claimed lives of teen hikers

By KOMO Staff & Associated Press Published: Sep 17, 2012 at 6:53 AM PDT Last Updated: Sep 17, 2012 at 8:09 PM PDT
Friend recounts terrifying fall that claimed lives of teen hikers »Play Video
Benjamin Skagen, left, and Andrew Lusink are seen in this combination photo.
NORTH BEND, Wash. -- Two teenage boys from Federal Way died Sunday during a hike in the mountains outside of North Bend after falling from rocks near a water fall.

The boys were identified as Andrew Lusink, 16, and Ben Skagen, 18. Both attended Christian Faith School, a close-knit school of only 85 high school students. Skagen graduated last year.

"(Andrew) was a real role model for the rest of the students in the school and his class," said 18-year-old Matt McIlnay, who was with the two on the hike. "(Ben) could light up a room like almost nobody else I knew."

The victims were with McIlnay and Andrew's 18-year-old brother Jeffrey Lusink on a hike to Otter Falls in the Snoqualmie National Forest -- a hike they had been planning for a few days.

"We're a little adventurous," McIlnay said. "We like to climb the steeper trails to get the sense of accomplishment."

But as Andrew Lusink and Skagen were climbing the rocks near the falls, they fell about 100 feet.

McIlnay said Andrew fell first and Jeffrey ran down to help, pulling Andrew from the water.

"And then Ben, who was up above, I'm honestly not sure how he fell, because it looked like he was sitting still," McIlnay said. "While Jeffrey helped Andrew I went out of there and helped Ben and kept him out of the water and then eventually we moved them to reasonably dry ground."

Stuck in a remote area with no cell service, Jeffrey Lusink then ran for help and came upon three hikers who went to the site to help.

"Those guys were invaluable," McIlnay said. "They helped me out a lot. They knew stuff we didn't know. They took what was a very terrifying moment and made it bearable for a time."

Meanwhile, Jeffrey continued running down the trail - a total of about five miles - until he found a U.S. Forest Service employee.

"This is a very tragic situation," said Sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West, adding that with a lack of cell service, "it is likely that the Forest Service employee had to drive down the mountain to call 911."

The three hikers who went to help stayed with the injured boys, built a fire and performed CPR on the two boys when they stopped breathing, West said. By the time rescue teams reached the boys Sunday night, they had died.

"It's very tough, especially the hours that followed," McIlnay said. "It just happens and you don't really process it. You're like, 'this isn't happening.' "

West estimated that it was at least one hour after the boys had fallen before the call for aid was made, which came in around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. King County personnel were mobilized, with rescue crews hiking in as well as some rappelling down from a helicopter from Snohomish County.

The boys' bodies had been retrieved Monday morning, West said.

Later Monday, there was a growing memorial at their school for the two boys who found faith and friendship there.

School principal Tom Puddy said Skagen and Lusink were full of life and "loved the outdoors, loved God, loved people."

For Andrew's father, their family takes solace through religion.

"We have a confidence in knowing this life is not all there is and that he's in a better place," Rich Lusink said.