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

Mar. 15, 2025

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, theChelan County Sheriff’s Officesaid 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.

TheKing County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unitprovided assistance to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in the rescue, which occurred before sunset.

“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.

A rescuer can be seen in the video being hoisted down from a helicopter to the skiers around 7:30 p.m. local time.

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

King County Sheriff Air Support/YouTube

“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 Americareported.

“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.”

source: people.com