VIDEO: A crew member puts his training to the test, during a harrowing rescue of an injured hiker.
And that runner, ties his shoes to his bloodied knees as he crawls to find good phone reception.
Last Friday he was on a trail near Olympic National Park -- west of Hood Canal.
When this Coast Guard helicopter left Port Angeles early Saturday morning, it was bound for some of the most rugged terrain the Olympics have to offer.
"This is definitely up there," said Lt. Cmdr. Sam Hill, of the mission. "I'd say top five."
Hill was the pilot, leading a four-man rescue crew.
"Whenever you mix in altitude, terrain, wind, you add into that trees and sheer rock faces, it makes things a lot more difficult," he said.
Their mission: to pluck to safety an experienced trail runner, his left leg broken, his knees rubbed raw after crawling 10 and a half grueling hours - so he could call for help.