A snowshoer lost for more than two days near Snoqualmie Pass was rescued Monday afternoon when a search and rescue helicopter from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station received word of her location and plucked her from what could have been her final resting place.

Seattle resident Cindy Wysocki, 31, went missing on Saturday night after what was supposed to be one day of snowshoeing. The NAS Whidbey MH-60S Knighthawk was launched Sunday morning and after a three-hour search mission returned with a request from the Washington State Emergency Operation Center to resume the search at first light. A second search on Monday morning was equally unsuccessful in locating Wysocki in the densely-forested area.

On the ground, a massive search party was also underway. More than 50 people, including King County Sheriff’s personnel and volunteers — fanned out to help locate the young woman. In addition to the SAR aircraft and a King County Sheriff’s helicopter, two news helicopters were also in the area.

Wysocki was spotted by the sheriff’s helicopter near Pratt Creek around noon on Monday. Unable to land the aircraft, a deputy jumped from the helicopter eight or 10 feet onto a rock and proceeded to care for the snowshoer. After receiving the call, the NAS Whidbey SAR crew immediately mounted up and took to the sky for the third time in two days. This time, however, they picked up an extra passenger.

“Her situation was desperate after two days and would have been worse had we not found her by nightfall, because she was hypothermic, wet and very tired,” said SAR Cmdr. Pete Turner.

Wysocki had fallen into the creek twice, making her situation even more dire, Turner said. Exhaustion, combined with the terrain, weather, conditions, and impending dusk, made the timing impeccable. And life-saving.

“Had we not found her Monday afternoon, we may not have found her until spring,” the commander said.

Paramedics described the woman as a perseverant, tough, young lady, Turner said. Wysocki forced herself to stay awake and continue moving all of Sunday night, fearing that she would succumb to hypothermia if she fell asleep.

Turner later learned that the snowshoer actually heard the Knighthawk fly overhead earlier, but was unable to signal the aircraft because of the dense woods. When the sheriff’s helicopter spotted her, the ground search party was still six miles away, the commander said.

“It’s safe to say her stars were aligned Monday afternoon,” Turner said.