iPhone SOS Alert Helped in Rescue of 3 Backcountry Skiers in Washington State

"Without some sort of satellite communication device, this story could have a very different ending," said King County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jason Stanley

David Chiu

28 January 2025 at 1:04 pm·3-min read

King County Sheriff Air Support/YouTube Thermal imaging of backcountry skiers being rescued near Stevens Pass in Washington state — King County Sheriff Air Support/YouTube
Thermal imaging of backcountry skiers being rescued near Stevens Pass 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.

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."

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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

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