Hiker injured near Spada Lake dies overnight

SULTAN -- A 56-year-old man who suffered a head injury while hiking just north of Highway 2 near Sultan died overnight, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

The hiker was traveling about eight miles northeast of Spada Lake near Williams Creek at an altitude of 2,500 feet when he sustained a head injury from a fall Sunday, the sheriff's office said. The hiker was accompanied by two people, and one stayed with him while the other hiked out for assistance.

Search and rescuers were able to locate the injured hiker late Sunday, but due to weather conditions and safety considerations, they were unable to rescue him and planned a rescue for Monday, officials said.

The man died overnight and his body was transported by helicopter to the medical examiner's office Monday.

The identity of the victim, as well as cause and manner of death, has not yet been released.