Witnesses say the 25-year-old woman fell down along the trail and refused help.<\/p>\n
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash A 25-year-old woman has been found dead near Wallace Falls in Snohomish County. Police suspect psychedelic mushrooms played a part.<\/p>\n
Leigh Kuppler was out for a hike at the falls with her partner last Friday when they ran into a pair of young women.<\/p>\n
At one point, she was standing there, and she fell straight back onto the ground, hitting her head on the rocks,\" said Kuppler.<\/p>\n
According to Kuppler, the women appeared intoxicated but not drunk. One of the women had torn clothing and dirt on her face.<\/p>\n
She hugged us and said, 'I hope you enjoy this trail, said Kuppler. \"Then she hugged her friend. After that, she took a couple steps back and was standing looking at us, and she fell straight back hitting her head again.\"<\/p>\n
Kuppler tried to help the hikers, but they refused.<\/p>\n
Her friend was just saying that everything was fine and to leave them alone,\" said Kuppler.<\/p>\n
Concerned for their safety, Kuppler called 911.<\/p>\n
The last words I exchanged with her were, good luck, I hope everything is OK,\" said Kuppler.<\/p>\n
The next morning, a search and rescue crew found 25-year-old Alisonstar Molaf of New Jersey dead near the Wallace River.<\/p>\n
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said both women were \"under the influence of mushrooms.\"<\/p>\n
It really sits heavy with me knowing I was the last one to see her alive, and it just happened so quickly,\" said Kuppler.<\/p>\n
The trail to Wallace Falls can be dangerous because there are cliffs along the way.<\/p>\n
It isn't hard for people to get in trouble when they're sober. Experts said the odds of something bad happening increase exponentially under the influence of psychedelics.<\/p>\n
In a dangerous environment, I think accidents are prone to happen,\" said University of Washington researcher Dr. Nathan Sackett.<\/p>\n
Sackett believes psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, is quite safe on its own.<\/p>\n
Psychedelic mushrooms are growing in popularity with their decriminalization in Oregon, the trend of \"microdosing\" small amounts to increase creativity, and their promising use as a therapeutic for everything from depression to addiction.<\/p>\n
However, mushrooms can also make people hallucinate, act impulsively and not think of any potential consequences for their actions.<\/p>\n
This is a big concern of mine,\" explained Sackett. As psychedelics become culturally more normative, it's really important that people know they should do them in a controlled environment. Hopefully, one day, people won't have to hide in the woods to experience them.\"<\/p>\n
The official cause of Molaf's death has not been determined by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner. Sheriff's department investigators announced her death does appear to be accidental.<\/p>\n
For people intent on experimenting with mushrooms, or any psychedelic, Sackett advised people to be in a safe place with people they trust and to have a sober person on hand if things take a dangerous turn.<\/p>\n
It really is frustrating, and it's hard to deal with because I wish I could've done more,\" said Kuppler. \"I think we did the right thing, though, by calling someone who could help. You just don't know what's gonna happen.\"<\/p>\n
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Psychedelics played role in Wallace Falls hiker's death ...<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Witnesses say the 25-year-old woman fell down along the trail and refused help. SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash A 25-year-old woman has been found dead near Wallace Falls in Snohomish County Continue reading