Category: Newsletter

On a mild Saturday afternoon in May of 2016, a group of teens embarked on a day-hike to Blanca Lake, in the remote Cascade Mountains.  As they hiked up the steep trail they had no way of knowing that one of them would soon be lost and in peril. They had no way of knowing that their plans would dramatically alter the Mother’s Day plans of Search and Rescue volunteers from across seven counties. They had no way of knowing how many strangers would sacrifice their time to search hazardous mountain terrain for someone they had never met. As the teens worked their way up the arduous trail, they encountered snow above 3000 feet, making the trail slippery and hard to follow.  Soon, one member of the group, an 18 year old female, decided she did not want to continue.  She informed her friends that she would hike back down alone and meet them at the trailhead. Late in the afternoon, when the group returned to the trail head their friend was not there.  After waiting some time and trying to find her they called 911 at 9PM that night.  Local Sheriff Deputies responded and were unable to reach her […]

Randy Fay, Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue President As we kind of “slop” our way into this year’s Spring season our personnel are emerging from a winter of extensive training in all disciplines, refurbishing equipment, pre-planning for the upcoming remote area rescue season and conducting our recently held Safety Summit.  We recognize that maintaining a strong vigilance related to safety can be a perishable skill so annually we stand down the organization to conduct a day of safety-themed classes and equipment inspection.  Our highest priority as an organization is to focus on the things that will ensure the safety of our members and those we serve. As our eyes turn to the approaching increase in our mission workload I want to encourage you to conduct your own family safety summit as you prepare to return to enjoying your outdoor sports and recreation.  Please haul out your equipment, check it over, think through the risks you may be exposed to this season and plan accordingly. As we look back on 50 years of service to the community, we also look forward to serving for years to come!  Stay tuned as we roll out some celebratory events this year! Thank you for your […]

On August 19, 1958 then Sheriff Bob Twitchell signed a letter authorizing the setup of a land, air and sea rescue unit as part of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. An article in the Everett Herald said: “A 14-man team is trained and officially designated and ready to tackle this county’s search and rescue missions. The team is called the Snohomish County Search and Rescue Unit…The men who comprise the unit—the county’s first organization set up solely for search and rescue – went through a stiff 28-week training course, one that honed and broadened skills needed for their job. Now they are a compact unit ready to move quickly to any trouble spot in the area.” And from those beginnings, in the midst of a record heatwave, on August 22, 1967 a new nonprofit was born. Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue, Inc. was formed as an independent organization, but still working closely with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. So, now 50 years later it is time to celebrate! In the years since 1967 we have continued to grow from that original team of 14 men to nearly 300 men and women volunteers who respond to search and rescue missions […]

“Three Teens Trapped on Three Fingers Mountain” the news read back on Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening, August 26-27, 2008. Those were the “best-worst days” of our lives, since one of those teens was ours (and another we had custody for). My wife, Heidi, mother-in-law, Cheri, and I first discovered that the boys’ overnight adventure had turned terribly bad when we heard the report on the late night TV news. Assuming it was our boys who were trapped, we drove to the Green Mountain Forest Service Road (RD 41) off the Mountain Loop Highway, where the Sheriff’s Deputy confirmed our worst fears and allowed us access up the road all the way to the trailhead (today that road is blocked miles from the trailhead). The weather had changed significantly, and the boys were trapped in a storm at the 6,300 foot level not far from the 6,854 ft. summit… read more in the latest copy of The Rescue – Fall 2016!

Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer organization with over 300 volunteers on-call 24 hours a day to assist with emergencies and disasters, including locating missing children, saving injured hikers, and performing rescues during storms and other natural disasters like the Oso mudslide. We need to raise $120,000 to replace our 20-year-old food truck and we need your help to do it! If you’re a ground searcher about to head out with a team on a mission, it’s very encouraging to have a hot meal before you leave, and know that there’s a hot meal, and a smile, waiting for you when you return. If you’re a family member or a friend desperately waiting for word for your loved one, a hot meal, served with love, makes a big difference.   If you’re an out-of-county SAR volunteer helping us with one of our missions, a hot meal is one way we’re able to say “thank you for your support”. Our food truck has also fed and supported multiple other agencies, as it did following the Oso landslide, where it operated nearly every day for more than 30 days. Your donation will help us replace this vital piece of equipment […]