9-1-1 call taker helps save a family stuck in the snow

From the King County Sheriff's Office

Thanks to our 9-1-1 call receiver and her personal knowledge of hiking trails, a family is safely home.

On 12/09/2020 just after midnight, our 9-1-1 communications center received a call from a male stating that he and his family were stuck in the snow somewhere on National Forest Road 5510. This area is in rural unincorporated King County, with the closest city being North Bend. Any experienced 9-1-1 dispatcher will tell you that one of the biggest challenges of search and rescue calls is trying to locate someone in such a large remote area.

The caller stated that he had been trying unsuccessfully to dig his vehicle out of the snow for the past six hours. The caller, his wife and three daughters, had no food, no water, and our caller had to hike down almost four miles down the forest service road in order to get reception from his cell phone in order to call 9-1-1.

Fortunately, the 9-1-1 call receiver is a very experienced hiker. Using her knowledge of the area trailheads and forest service roads, she was able to work with the caller to find his exact location by way of describing signs and landmarks.

Responding King County deputies used this valuable information to finally locate the caller and his family and get them to a safe location.

We are very proud and appreciative of the women and men who answer King County's 9-1-1 calls every day, 24 hours a day.