By this time each year, some snow has melted in the Cascade Range, hikers are out on the trails and people talk again about how much it costs to rescue those who get lost or injured. Snohomish County budgets about $470,000 a year for search-and-rescue operations run by the sheriff’s office. That doe
sn’t include the nearly 7,000 hours contributed each year by the county’s 350 search-and-rescue volunteers.
Who gets rescued?
About 50 percent of rescue missions involve people enjoying the outdoors: hikers, campers, hunters, climbers, skiers, river rafters. Searches also happen in c
ities. Missing children, Alzheimer’s patients and people with disabilities or emotional problems make up about 30 percent of those rescued.
Search-and-rescue missions by category
| Mission category | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Total | Percentage of missions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missing adults and children | 7 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 6 | 56 | 9% |
| Climbers, skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, avalanche victims | 11 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 48 | 7% |
| Hikers, campers, hunters, anglers, spelunkers, prospectors | 31 | 31 | 34 | 48 | 36 | 180 | 28% |
| Alzheimers, disabled, emotionally disturbed, suicidal | 33 | 28 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 128 | 20% |
| Parachutists, BASE jumpers, hang gliders | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1% |
| Motorists | 11 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 33 | 5% |
| Power boaters, rafters, kayakers, canoeists, swimmers | 8 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 56 | 9% |
| Equestrians, bicyclists, cyclists, ATVers | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 2% |
| Criminal activity | 3 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 39 | 6% |
| Body search/recovery, drownings | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 64 | 10% |
| Downed aircraft | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1% |
| FEMA assist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Floods, flood victims | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1% |
| Fires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| All other | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1% |
| Total | 128 | 117 | 133 | 144 | 126 | 648 | 100% |
Click on the graphic below for a visualization of the data above.
One of the county’s most jaw-dropping rescues came in August 2010 when a BASE jumper got snagged on the north face of Mount Baring. It took the use of a helicopter and ground crews to hoist the man to safety. Turns out he was wanted on a warrant for an equally dangerous stunt in Skagit County.
Volunteers are key to rescues. In recent years, they’ve accounted for 93 percent of the time spent on the county’s top 25 missions.
Top 25 search-and-rescue missions, 2003-10
| Date | Incident | Sheriff’s Office hours worked | Volunteer hours worked | Total hours worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/8/2005 | Lost hikers on Mt. Pilchuck. | 67 | 1865 | 1932 |
| 6/22/2005 | Find overdue climbers on Vesper Peak. | 94.5 | 1459.5 | 1554 |
| 8/8/2009 | Find lost angler on North Fork Sauk River. | 47 | 898.25 | 945.25 |
| 5/28/2006 | Search for lost hikers near Blanca Lake. | 44 | 853 | 897 |
| 1/7/2009 | Multiple rescues during major flooding. | 209 | 674.5 | 883.5 |
| 12/5/2010 | Fatal climbing accident on Morning Star Peak. | 65 | 816.5 | 881.5 |
| 11/3/2009 | Search for suicidal man on Boulder River trail. | 59.5 | 774.5 | 834 |
| 8/2/2010 | Rescue BASE jumper from north face of Baring Mountain. | 48.5 | 747 | 795.5 |
| 12/12/2010 | Multiple rescues during major flooding. | 101.25 | 648.75 | 750 |
| 8/1/2009 | Find lost hiker on Mt. Pilchuck. | 39 | 684 | 723 |
| 12/29/2003 | Find, recover body of patient with Alzheimers. | 57.5 | 659 | 716.5 |
| 7/6/2004 | Recover body of missing man near Granite Falls. | 61 | 601.5 | 662.5 |
| 8/28/2004 | Assist detectives search for evidence at homicide scene. | 44.5 | 603 | 647.5 |
| 7/27/2007 | Search for missing hiker on Mt. Pilchuck. | 29 | 590 | 619 |
| 6/17/2003 | Search for missing prospector near Lake Cavanaugh. | 45 | 569.5 | 614.5 |
| 1/19/2003 | Rescue at Big Four Ice Caves. | 30 | 584 | 614 |
| 11/6/2006 | Multiple rescues during major flooding. | 0 | 571.5 | 571.5 |
| 9/14/2003 | Rescue injured climber from Wilmans Spire. | 40 | 531 | 571 |
| 3/27/2004 | Search for overdue hikers on Three Fingers Mountain. | 37 | 520 | 557 |
| 2/26/2003 | Search for overdue hikers at Big Four Mountian. | 70.5 | 482.5 | 553 |
| 5/12/2003 | Search for possible suicide on Mt. Pilchuck. | 63 | 468 | 531 |
| 12/3/2010 | Locate elderly man who died while fishing along Pilchuck Creek. | 25 | 457 | 482 |
| 6/28/2003 | Find hikers missing near Sloan Creek. | 62 | 418 | 480 |
| 6/5/2009 | Rescue injured hiker near Barclay Lake. | 30.5 | 443 | 473.5 |
| 7/27/2010 | Find missing hiker on Mt. Pilchuck. | 30.5 | 408 | 438.5 |
Click on the graphic below for a visualization of the data above.
Helicopter missions
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office numbers for 2010:
| Mission type | Count | Flight hours | Total sorties | Hours worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searches and rescues | 36 | 54.7 | 209 | 490.5 |
| Body recovery | 8 | 17.3 | 49.7 | 194 |
| Other | 10 | 17.4 | 65 | 392 |
| Reconnaissance | 7 | 13.7 | 25 | 49 |
| Training | 61 | 99.7 | 460 | 1458 |
| Maintenance | 32 | 34.1 | 88 | 184 |
Should those who get in trouble pay? Search and rescue volunteers are opposed to the idea. They worry that charging for rescues could deter people from seeking help immediately. The sheriff’s office earlier favored legislation that would have increased outdoor permit fees and allowed for a $500 fine for reckless behavior leading to a rescue. The proposal died for lack of support.
Before you go
Sheriff’s Sgt. Danny Wikstrom, offers these tips:
• Take survival essentials in your backpack, including a cell phone.
• Don’t wear cotton clothes or sandals.
• Leave written information with a reliable person regarding your route, your trailhead, your vehicle, your equipment and what to do if you do not return on schedule.
• Know where you are going.
• If you get lost or hurt: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
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