27-01-2025
Apple Watch Alert Leads to Dramatic Backcountry Rescue
A trio of backcountry skiers were rescued from the backcountry near Stevens Pass, Washington, last week in the evening after rescuers received an SOS alert delivered by an Apple Watch, according to several news a post on X, King County Sheriff Air Support called the incident 'spicy' and shared footage of the dramatic nighttime rescue. Check out the video below of the rescue. Tap or click play to watch. Keep reading for more about the rescue.
Two of the three skiers had fallen about 500 feet. One suffered a broken leg. The other twisted their knee and broke their wrist. Both victims were unable to walk, CBS News reports. The third skier wasn't harmedKing County Sheriff Air Support responded to the SOS alert with two helicopters after sunset. One helicopter, Guardian 1, located the victims. The other, Guardian 2, facilitated the rescue. The team used heat sensors to spot the skiers from a conversation with ABC News, Tony Mullinax, a deputy pilot with the King County Sheriff's Office, said that the skiers were located below steep terrain in a thicket of dense trees.'It was really, really dark where we were going,' he King County Sheriff Air Support arrived at the scene, they hoisted the skiers off the snow into one of the helicopters. The injured skiers were eventually delivered to a hospital in Seattle, Washington, for treatment.'Without some sort of satellite communication device, this story could have a very different ending, a very tragic ending because of the temperatures that the skiers were skiing in and the distance they were away from any kind of civilization," Sergeant Jason Stanley of the King County Sheriff's Office told ABC Apple devices have SOS alerts that allow users to send requests for assistance by satellite. This benefited the trapped skiers, who were recreating in an area without cell service. Other popular devices, like the Garmin inReach, offer similar satellite SOS the first to read breaking ski news with POWDER. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. From ski resort news to profiles of the world's best skiers, we are committed to keeping you informed.
