Latest news with #TonyMullinax
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How King County Sheriff's Office uses helicopter unit to save lives
The Brief The King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit is prepared to conduct rescues in the mountainous regions of Western Washington, operating 24/7 to assist individuals in emergencies, such as hikers and skiers in distress. Despite using a 50-year-old helicopter and having only four pilots, the unit successfully executed back-to-back rescues in January, including a night hoist operation to save injured skiers at Stevens Pass, aided by an SOS alert from an Apple Watch. Deputy Tony Mullinax emphasizes the importance of carrying communication devices and essential survival items when heading outdoors, as rescue operations can take hours or days depending on circumstances. KING COUNTY, Wash. - At a moment's notice, the King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit is ready to take off to save the lives of people stranded or in danger in the mountain regions of the area. With nearly 70-degree days in the forecast for this weekend, many will head out to the trails. If an emergency strikes, the King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit is ready 24/7. "We as cops joke about, 'everyone loves a firefighter.' So, now we get to do some of the rescuing ourselves," said Deputy Tony Mullinax. Hundreds of feet over the mountains of Western Washington, Mullinax and the KCSO Air Support Unit locate and rescue people experiencing their worst day. "You could have someone bleeding to death. You could have someone experiencing symptoms of a heart attack where time matters," he said. The backstory In January, the air support unit stayed busy with multiple rescues. On January 19, a hiker fell on Guye Peak. Because of the remote location, KCSO's Guardian 2 helicopter took off. Three days later, on January 22, the air support unit got the call again. This time, several skiers were injured near Stevens Pass after falling about 1000 feet. "We accepted the mission and determined that the injuries and risk to the people involved was worth the risk to us to do a night hoist in the mountains," said Mullinax. Video of the rescues makes the work look easy, but that is far from the truth, Mullinax tells FOX 13 Seattle. "It's hard as the pilot, like, sitting there hovering in the dark next to a mountain for that long, while you're sending a guy up and down," he said. With two helicopters in the air (one to search and one to rescue), KCSO Air Support Unit pulled three hikers from Stevens Pass to safety during the mission. The air support unit was able to find the injured skiers thanks to an SOS alert from one of the victim's Apple Watch. "From the time we got the call until the time we were at Harborview, was a matter of hours, instead of a matter of, probably, days if we had to walk in and get them," said Mullinax. Right now, there are only four pilots in the air support unit, and the rescue helicopter the team uses is five decades old, Mullinax said. "The problem is that's a big ask. I mean, you're talking $15 to 20 million for a modern rescue-equipped helicopter and then all of the training that goes with learning to fly it." With calls constantly coming in throughout the entire year, the team is hopeful they'll be able to grow the unit in the future. Mullinax tells FOX 13 Seattle if you are planning on heading out, make sure to bring some sort of device that you can use to communicate if cell service is not available, like the Apple Watch that helped to save the skiers at Stevens Pass. He suggests bringing clothes for the weather, something you can use to make a fire, a device to signal for help like a whistle, mirror, or flair gun, something you can make shelter with, and plenty of water and food. "It may be a matter of hours, or it may be a matter of days until help can first of all find you, then rescue you," he said. If you're heading out hiking, experts suggest you always carry the "ten essentials." Navigation - maps or GPS Hydration Nutrition - carry at least one extra day's worth of food Rain Gear and Insulation - A way to start a fire -waterproof matches or a lighter First aid kit Tools - knives or a multi-tool Illumination - a light source and extra batteries Sun protection - sunglasses and sunscreen Shelter - tarp or space blanket The Source Information in this story comes from the King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit. ICE arrests 37 people at Bellingham, WA roofing company 7 million pounds of WA food at risk as federal cuts loom 1 juvenile dead, 2 in critical condition in Skyway, WA New study reveals you need $169K to be financially happy in Seattle 12 WA residents made Forbes's list of 2025 billionaires Everything to know about the Washington State Spring Fair Seattle Restaurant Week 2025 by neighborhood To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
iPhone SOS Alert Helped in Rescue of 3 Backcountry Skiers in Washington State
Three backcountry skiers were rescued last week near Stevens Pass in Washington state thanks to an emergency alert from an Apple iPhone—and the dramatic operation was captured on camera. In a Facebook post shared on Monday, Jan. 27, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said the operation began when authorities received "an SOS alert from the skier's iPhone and utilizing text-to-911 dispatch to coordinate a joint effort to rescue the injured skiers," on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The King County Sheriff's Office confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Jan. 28, that the alert emanated from an iPhone as some media outlets previously reported the SOS alert came from an Apple Watch. The King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit provided assistance to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office in the rescue, which occurred before sunset. Related: More Than 170 Snowboarders and Skiers Rescued After Colorado Ski Lift Breaks Down The skiers were out of cell phone range but managed to send out an emergency alert from their Apple device via satellite. The information transmitted was then received by authorities, ABC's Good Morning America reported. "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," said King County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jason Stanley, according to ABC News. Footage later released by the King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit showed rescuers pinpointing the location of the stranded skiers in the mountain area. Two of the skiers reportedly fell 500 feet, while another was uninjured. A rescuer can be seen in the video being hoisted down from a helicopter to the skiers around 7:30 p.m. local time. 'We'll try to take all three [skiers] … we're not leaving one behind,' a dispatcher said in the footage. "They were down at the base of some really steep terrain, near some pretty tall trees," Tony Mullinax, a deputy pilot with the King County Sheriff's Office, told ABC News. "It was really, really dark where we were going." Related: Ski Lift Collapse Injures Dozens of People and Traps About 80 Skiers in Chairlifts at Resort: 'We Were Hurt' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. All three skiers, who have not been identified, were rescued and were taken to a Seattle hospital, said authorities, Good Morning America reported. 'This great outcome could have had a different ending if it wasn't for a little technology at work,' the Chelan County Sheriff's Office's Facebook post noted. 'This is a great example of why strong relationships and partnerships between law enforcement agencies are so important,' the department added. 'We continue to serve our communities with the most highly qualified personnel, utilizing the resources entrusted to us.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
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.
