NORTH BEND, Wash. — When Seattle Mountain Rescue received an alert Saturday evening about a distressed hiker on Mailbox Peak, volunteers turned to a new tool that's revolutionizing their response times: an e-bike.

The King County Sheriff's Office requested assistance as darkness approached for a dehydrated hiker experiencing leg cramps on the popular but challenging trail near North Bend.

"It was cold and it was going to be dark in a couple minutes," said Scott Behmer of King County Explorer Search and Rescue, who assisted with the weekend mission.

The e-bike fleet is part of a pilot program Wes Cooper launched for Seattle Mountain Rescue at the beginning of the year. Paired with GPS technology, he said the bike shaved approximately 30 minutes off Saturday's mission — a critical time sa

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