One rescue, one death on Mount Si in May

Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Two hiking incidents occurred in a week in the same area of Mount Si this May, one resulting in a death.

A 65-year-old man died May 10 after what officials assume was a fall. He was found alone on the trail by another hiker. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, according to the King County Medical Examiner, who identified the man as Michael Thomas Mullaney.

Six days later, emergency crews rescued a man near Haystack Rock who had fallen 50 feet and hit his head. The man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center.

This difficult rescue involved King County Search and Rescue, Eastside Fire and Rescue, Bellevue Fire Department medics, Seattle Mountain Rescue and the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit.

“Trail rescues take an incredible amount of coordination between agencies and a massive effort from rescuers,” said Eastside Fire and Rescue in a Facebook post. “Please be prepared for inclement weather when hiking in our region, as the weather can change quickly at high elevations.”

Haystock Rock, the highest point of Mount Si, is not easy to summit and has no dedicated trail. It is categorized as a class 3 scramble, based on the Yosemite Decimal System and described on the Washington Trails Association website as “150-feet of a near-vertical face with exposure.”

Officials also warn that conditions can be misleading this time of year because even when there’s warm weather on the ground, the summit can still be snowy and icy.

King County Search and Rescue Association has had 10 calls to Mount Si already this year (including Little Si and Mount Teneriffe), surpassing last year’s total of nine, according to spokesperson Natalie Patterson Joffe.

The King County Search and Rescue Association has three big recommendations for preparing for a hike:

• Plan before you go. Check the mountain weather forecast and trail conditions, and choose hikes that match your current ability level.

• Pack the 10 essentials: navigation, headlamp, sun protection, first aid, knife, fire, shelter, extra food, extra water, extra clothes.

• Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back so they can call for help if needed.

“All of this said, accidents happen,” Patterson Joffe said. “If you need help, don’t hesitate. Call 911. Search and Rescue in Washington is a free service for the public.”