EVERETT — One of two men who deputies say tried to steal from an emergency communications tower, needed to be hoisted by helicopter Wednesday near Granite Falls.
Around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a burglary at a radio tower when they spotted the suspect vehicle leaving the scene. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle and the two men exited the vehicle and fled on foot, deputies said.
K-9 Greg and his handler tracked and took the first suspect, a 44-year-old Stanwood man, into custody, said spokesperson Courtney O’Keefe.
With the help of SnoHawk 5, a sheriff’s office air operations helicopter and additional K-9 teams, deputies tracked the second suspect for nearly 2 miles fleeing through a wooded area on a cliffside. K-9 Knox helped take the second suspect, a 37-year-old Marysville man, into custody.
Because of the difficult terrain, deputies determined they could not safely move the suspect and requested a helicopter hoist.
SnoHawk 5 crews returned to Taylor’s Landing to retrieve SnoHawk 10. The second helicopter returned to hoist the second suspect out of the area.
SnoHawk 10 is a heavily modified Bell UH-1H designed for high altitude rescue work in the Cascade Mountains. It’s external rescue hoist is capable of lifting 600 pounds with 250 feet of steel cable.
Deputies say both men caused damage to the tower during the burglary attempt, and there were intermittent interruptions to emergency radio service in the area. Emergency calls to 911 were not affected, O’Keefe said.
Aaron Kennedy: 425-257-7444; aaron.kennedy@heraldnet.com.
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