Police Helicopter Rescue of Snowmobiler After Avalanche

On March 23, 2018 at 11:45 am search and rescue forces were notified that four snowmobilers had been caught in an avalanche one-half mile south of Longs Pass in Kittitas County, Okagonan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington. One was partially buried not critical, one was partially buried critical, and two were completely buried and deceased. [Note: “critical” in this context refers to the head being buried under snow.]
All party members had avalanche transceivers, shovels, and airbag packs. Probes were carried by three of the four members. One rider sustained minor injuries. The more seriously injured (but alive) rider, seen in this video, would ultimately be found to have sustained a head injury with disrupted vision in his right eye, an unclassified right shoulder injury, injury to his left knee (MCL and ACL), and multiple complex fractures to his lower left leg. He had been buried face-up, head uphill, with his legs slightly down and to the left. His left arm was free and snow nearly covered his head. The other surviving party had been buried up to his waist and self-extricated, from there providing immediate life-saving assistance to the pictured party and getting notification of emergency services in motion. (Due to their location, direct communication was not possible. complex task which required radio relays.
One of the victims, James Larson, 41, was a 14-year veteran of the Bonny Lake police department. The other fatality was Zach Roundtree, 27, an Air Force veteran also of Bonny Lake.
Nearly all of the known information on this accident can be found in the associated Northwest Avalanche Center incident report, available in a public post on Patreon.
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[@mtsledhead08]

That was my best friend….thank you for saving his life and taking care of him during the darkest day of his life. I can not thank you enough

[@joeaardvark9214]

The other snowmobilers did an impressive job of helping their injured buddy too. Made a litter/mat out of pine branches, stabilized his leg the best they could, and even communicated the deceased further up the mountain.

[@MomentoMori1776]

Dude, youre on your game today. This channel is probably my most-watched channel. Nobody posts stuff like this dude. More support from me bro

[@RealWorldPolice]

Sam - Thank you.

[@Cabbieguy78]

The professionalism of these men are truly something else.

[@Nathan-zv3hs]

AdamsFamily78 yet it’s weird, most search and rescue in the uk use full length back boards and would usually stabilise the patient first before evacuation, I think these guys just worry about getting the patient out, not so much patient welfare

[@MillionFoul]

@@Nathan-zv3hs It's a different kind of rescue for a different situation. In this case, they are worried about the patient having sustained internal injuries which cannot be treated on scene and that the patient may succumb to hypothermia very rapidly. In this specific operation, odds are they do not have an approved method for winch-lifting an entire backboard, nor a crew paramedic. Many of their extractions are from challenging terrain where treatment cannot be safely undertaken, or where treatment is not required (such as exhausted climbers on cliff-sides) and as a result their primary focus is on extraction rather than treatment.

[@Nathan-zv3hs]

MillionFoul we watched the same video? Not once was internal bleeding brought up, the first crew dropped only got told about a broken leg.. never was anything else mentioned. As I say we used sea kings in all kinds of weather to get someone out, the leg could have been braced better for the winch up, but their priority was simply getting the job done, not so much patient welfare, I understand where your coming from. But after seeing so many rescues here, it’s crazy to see how others do it.. ain’t they flying a Huey? Plenty of room got back boards etc. Just like our sea kings

[@MillionFoul]

@@Nathan-zv3hs It may not have been mentioned on the ground, neither of the ground personnel were the flight medic; and they probably planned their extraction before arrival considering their equipment was all ready to go at the start of the video. Also comparing a Huey and a Sea King is pretty apples to oranges, the sea king can lift 11000lbs more, and therefore has a much higher performance margin (especially considering the altitude rescues like this one might be performed at). Either way, my point was not that they could not use a backboard but rather that it may not be part of their regular equipment for a variety of reasons, including normal operational requirements and performance.

[@Nathan-zv3hs]

MillionFoul I never compared them.. that’s your American mentality kick in.. relax, nobody is here for a competition.. I was simply stating that helicopter was designed to pick up back boards in one of your failed wars.. yet it can’t take a back board now? He simply asked what was hurting and practically nodded lol like we can agree on.. his job isn’t patient welfare it’s simply to get them out of there. We’d have strapped his leg up at least so he doesn’t have to feel his tib, fib fractures grinding against each other every second he’s going up to the helo, but is what it is.. he got out of there so be it, but for a country that charges medical bills you’d expect them to try a little more, Jesus fuck we have free healthcare here and get treated like the medics own son or daughter, these guys simply just wanna be in and out.. simple

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

Brave rescuers. Nothing is sweeter than seeing help when you are injured and on top of a mountain.

[@andreahighsides7756]

In case anyone reading this frequents avalanche prone areas. If you are in an avalanche before you come to rest tuck your nose and mouth into your elbow to create an air pocket. Once buried spit to determine which way is up, then see if you can move anything. If you’re trapped stop trying to move and relax as much as possible to conserve oxygen. There are anecdotes of people peeing to melt the snow and gain some mobility. When in backcountry you should always have at least one avalanche transponder on your person, but ideally two. They sell winter clothing with these built in. And also your party should have a locator for these transponders. If your friends are missing after an avalanche you need to act quickly and begin searching by sticking a stick into the ground, and using the transponders if you have one.

[@trevorblackbirdguitar9952]

Why stick a stick in the ground?

[@mr.m7791]

@@trevorblackbirdguitar9952 To feel for signs of the person's body

[@Jack-ol8bb]

this is pretty sketchy advice not gonna lie. Know the snow conditions where you are going, avoid avalanche terrain if at all possible, wear a transceiver AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT, make sure everyone in your group has a transceiver , shovel, and prove and has trained to use them. The devices that are sewn into clothing are RECCO and can only be detected by professional rescuers with the proper equipment.

[@eddieball1225]

IN CASE ANYONE READING THIS FREQUENTS AVALANCHE PRONE AREAS IF YOU ARE IN AN AVALANCHE BEFORE YOU COME TO REST TUCK YOUR NOSE A

[@ItzRetz]

@@Jack-ol8bb She gave advice on how to increase your chances of survival if you ever were to get into an avalanche, not on how to avoid them entirely. You can take all the precautions in the world and still run the risk of getting caught in an avalanche, and in that case the advice she provided actually seems very helpful. Spitting to find what way is down would have never occurred to me. The other tips seem like they'd work, too. I don't see any 'sketchy' advice here.

[@lowprofile2412]

No basket to lift him? I was rescued off a boat and put into a basket. I suffered a decompression hit attempting to rescue a buddy of mine on a deep offshore wreck dive in Key Largo, FL. Much respect for these rescuers👍 They saved my life

[@FaZeredemption3]

was that the coast guard that rescued you? they are the ones with baskets and litters. also they are much nicer then sheriff lol

[@4Score747]

So Sad that two perished. Such a beautiful day with friends. Those Avalanches have no mercy. Thanks be to the first responders getting the young man to a hospital as soon as possible, your amazing! Prayers to the families involved 😞

[@cmonster6]

Pro ball players please stand back so these real American heroes can work!

[@pearcey1113]

How do these guys do this its crazy, I can't believe the risk they take every time someone needs to be rescued they do an amazing job

[@SirJamesIGamerfuzion]

RIP to the two that didn't make it

[@catlockhart6965]

High praise to the helicopter crew for the jobs they do in situations like this that they risk their own lives doing this. Years and years of training go into this.

[@brandons2411]

I remember hearing this news. I live in Bonney Lake and it was a gut punch to our small town. Thank you for sharing this video. KCSO Air Support is top notch.

[@Shayna11NM]

Also the guy being airlifted was SUPER stoic. He not only had been in a horrible accident, he may or may not have known that his buddies were dead, and he took a helo lift with totally UNSUPPORTED compound comminuted (shattered into little pieces, some of them poking through the skin) leg and he never complained once about hurting. F*** me. I would have been sobbing. Again, BRAVO to the rescue crew. Had you not been there, this easily could have increased to a three person fatality.

[@MZ-bl6wg]

Hats off to the pilots on their hovering and this entire crew!!! My brother is the same position as the cam man here in utah , prayers for him and this crew and all others! Amazing dangerous job and these guys do it alllll the time!

[@BlueDudette]

Wow...what a rescue. I’m surprised the patient didn’t pass out. Thanks to the rescuers!

[@turbolivesinmyheart6328]

That rescue team is absolutely amazing. The dude's riding down the cable from the helicopter must have balls made of titanium.

[@trackeryak]

These guys are amazing how quickly they complete their rescues.

[@spesnenok9371]

Thank You for this Video!

[@brooklynchick]

You guys are heros thanks for doing a good job

[@KaliyahTheCreator.]

cool rescue, rip to 2 people that died & thank you for ur service. :

[@KaliyahTheCreator.]

does anyone know the song at the end..?

[@MNVIKINGSFAN]

Wow those guys did a great job on the rescue rip to the 2 that died that sucks real bad

[@KyleMorpheus]

Love the helo vids. Condolences to the two deceased.

[@danmack3173]

Oh is this the same Helo that struck the mountain on the way back?

[@RealWorldPolice]

It is! --- To clarify for others who may read this, the accident occurred on a different mission. Video of the mishap was posted to Real World Police on 3/26/19 and can be seen at tiny.cc/policehelocrash

[@Women_Rock]

Real World Police when someone says a helicopter “struck a mountain” one wouldn’t think it’d ever be back working...

[@BoulevardFan28]

@@Women_Rock it did a lot of damage too. The fuselage was clearly warped, as evidenced by the doors having air gaps in places where they should seal shut. The entire left skid was trashed, and the panels on the bottom left of the fuselage were all crumpled from contact with rocks. This _easily_ could have been fatal, but luck was on their side.

[@LeCretin]

@@BoulevardFan28 they had a hell of a pilot too

[@RealWorldPolice]

BoulevardFan28 Correct. That was a crazy mishap. They were in a likely-fatal spin, and striking the mountain managed to stop the spin and allow them to fly off without also destroying the helicopter and everyone inside it.

[@casams1992]

I got dizzy watching him descend. I feel for the rescuer.

[@Bammonb]

Wow this is crazy! Well done good training these guys are tough!

[@mistermysterio5695]

Wow awesome video, too bad about those who didn’t survive. Would love to see more like these please!

[@MZ-bl6wg]

Man rest in peace to the 2 lost and to their families , and rest in peace again to Ken Block who fell also sledding a few weeks ago. As an avid snowmobiles we really gotta be so careful!

[@xanpollaro3444]

A plane can fly over and drop flowers anywhere, but a helicopter can land anywhere and save a life~Sikorsky

[@felobatirmoheb4884]

Wait, I thought Sikorsky was a company not a person?

[@Draz88]

Great job guys true professionals for saving him

[@khalid969]

All the safety gear, yet still two perished. Tragic.

[@pharrzide]

safety gear can't protect you from thousands of pounds of snow on top of you

[@MillionFoul]

@@pharrzide It's not the snow that kills you, it's the rocks.

[@johnjacobjingleheimer-schm491]

MillionFoul - Snow alone is the primary cause of both injury and fatalities in an avalanche. It is possible to be killed by impacting rocks in an avalanche, but snow alone is the usual culprit. Tree wells are also extremely dangerous to snowmobilers and skiers and prove fatal to many outdoor winter enthusiasts each year.

[@MillionFoul]

@@johnjacobjingleheimer-schm491 The initial comment is making the supposition the weight of the snow is what kills you, which is what I'm replying to. The weight of the snow is essentially irrelevant to the victim insofar as injuries which might be sustained and asphyxiation, the main killers in avalanches. You can asphyxiate in a foot or twenty feet of snow and you can experience fatal trauma in a slide of any size. I am suppositing with my comment that the primary factor which dictates your survival in an avalanche is whether you are killed by trauma or not, which is true, insofar as if you get killed by a rock, getting dug up is irrelevant.

[@jacquelynfaidit-bogue1254]

Yes because my ex had everything you could have to be safe and he didn't make it out

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

What an awesome job they have, so lucky

[@welshimegs]

Love the helicopter video!

[@pitbull113]

Great job guys.

[@LabiaLicker]

Excellent flying and a great evac. I WOULD not want the helo to experience VRS while I was being hoisted up.

[@_roseanevieira]

Perf landscape ❄️

[@skyyy5150]

Hey real world! Cam you check into a SWAT raid from Tracy California. Happened 09/17/19 at approximately 7:00pm pst

[@AccendoWorld]

@11:10, that’s amazing. He didn’t even move to catch the hoist...humans are something else. ✌️

[@veloc1tyTV]

They have an amazing job.

[@bobmcbobberson8329]

I would have thrown up if I started spinning, touched down on the mountain and then been so dizzy I would lose my footing and roll down

[@vjm3]

I worked in Orthopedics. When they verified that he'd be lifted with his leg just dangling, I cringed. Broken bones are a painful experience, especially big ones like a leg. He's lucky his femur didn't break, the months of recovery would be awful.

[@JenniferSmith-25]

vjm3 - I thought they’d at least put the man in a litter or something similar. I guess though, that they know what they’re doing.

[@vjm3]

@@JenniferSmith-25 A litter? Litter of kittens? That would be nice.

[@andreahighsides7756]

Yes I was hoping they’d cut some sticks and brace the leg with those and some cordage or tape. But its easy to play armchair quarterback

[@JenniferSmith-25]

vjm3 - A “litter” is a framework (usually) of cloth stretched between two parallel bars to carry injured people - aka a stretcher. Though playing with a litter of kittens might have eased his stress and pain. 😉

[@carlosarturosalazarhernand4854]

Incredible, God blees you boys.

[@pharrzide]

umm might wanna edit that comment

[@carlosarturosalazarhernand4854]

@@pharrzide For what?

[@brittany7jeffrey4]

@@carlosarturosalazarhernand4854 look at the last word. It supposed to be 'guys' not gays

[@pharrzide]

@@carlosarturosalazarhernand4854 you put gays instead of guys

[@jonchaney]

Maybe they are gay. Who the hell cares they are excellent helicopter crew and heroes.

[@redheadjedi2653]

damn. poor people man😔

[@Agarbeau]

Amazing video! Viewers with vertigo or acrophobia might want to hold onto something.

[@RealWorldPolice]

Haha! Viewers without vertigo or acrophobia might want to watch on a VR headset for a more immersive experience.

[@brittany7jeffrey4]

When the guy went back up and then looked over, I had to look away. Last time we went on vacation our room was on the 10th floor and going out on the balcony made my head spin. Heights don't like me.

[@erockg9139]

I would have had to take a second after coming off that helicopter lmao

[@imakememes3885]

My bitch ass wouldnt have jumped i would have froze in the helicopter

[@BlueFlyer21]

wow love the view

[@nonmihiseddeo4181]

Dude gets buried in an avalanche and suffers multiple injuries, then he has to take the death lift up to the helicopter. Horrifying. I hope he and the other injured guy made complete, uncomplicated recoveries.

[@BortLicensePlates]

Very professional crew right there. Without skipping a beat. No hesitation. No pussyfooting around. Get er done boys

[@winstonairedale]

That was a nice expensive trip

[@nathanhearld474]

So what's happening with there sleds

[@TheSweatyYeti]

Dang what a cool vid

[@rolfen]

No stretcher?

[@jacquelynfaidit-bogue1254]

My ex was one of them that passed. So for him to say those 2 we are leaving them here just hurt. It was a horrible day. I always pray it was fast and he didn't have time to realize what happened

[@Treyorrrr]

With a compound leg fracture of the tib and fib, why didn't they brace his leg or put him on a stretcher at all before hoisting him up?

[@jefferyshelley6480]

Nothing like the sound of a Huey.

[@ja1235]

That avy airbag saved his life

[@markviereck4547]

Us poor people never have to worry about injuries like this. We can’t afford to do things like this.

[@andreahighsides7756]

Mark Viereck You dont need money to experience nature.

[@mr.m7791]

@@andreahighsides7756 but you do to go snowmobiling

[@itsyaboimat2393]

you'd be surprised man and its not a patient choice if we airlift you or not it's the most senior medic on scene or geographical dependent so you could be doing something as simple as walking a hiking trail and falling sustain injuries the medic deems needs flight medicine and then they either land or hoist you out if the aircraft has the capability and will fly you to a trauma center

[@E7R1I6C]

Did I miss why at around the 9:00 mark they asked them to bury the bag?

[@k4shwak]

Wondering the same thing...

[@Jayshmidd]

So it doesn’t get sucked up in the air and caught in the helicopter

[@MoozKcilc]

Siko So the lightweight bag would not get sucked up onto the helicopter or get caught on blades.

[@E7R1I6C]

@@MoozKcilc oh wow makes complete sense!! Obviously he's well trained but that's not something I would have even thought of (prob because I don't do this lol)

[@linhope3317]

❤

[@kylee3108]

What’s the guy that goes down to get the people, what the job title?

[@itsyaboimat2393]

flight medic/Rescuer depending on what service you work for many want you to be either a paramedic or RN, Services like the Forest service have a program called Short haul that does this but your on a long line below the helicopter and flown out from the injury site with the patient that would probably be your best starting point is to contact the helitack crew for your area and see what the requirements are

[@kylee3108]

GimpGunfighter Oo thank you

[@ibew7091]

50k lift

[@high_lander_4085]

Dam 👀

[@k4shwak]

But why did they bury the bag?!? 9:00

[@fireflamingos2226]

k4shwak so it wouldn’t get sucked up by the helicopter

[@itsyaboimat2393]

it's to keep everyone on the ground safe so that the rotor wash didn't cause it to fly and hit anyone during patient extraction because then you have more than one patient that you have to treat if someone is hit by anything

[@trevorsessions3018]

my dad was the sad cordnatioer for this lmao

[@LindaWati-gx5oy]

Para ilmuwan telah menemukan

[@KiTheMC]

Aw I thought this was gonna be the spinny one.

[@Rollincoal6.6]

Crazy that the balls of these guys fit in their suits

[@Corruptedd]

this is how you commit not aliven't

[@LindaWati-gx5oy]

Rumah dijual rumah minimalis terbaru

[@j.zingler6735]

brave men resucuing some stupid hikers....

[@TahoeJones]

Who paid for this rescue of hotdogs? Bet you did.

[@nekso3492]

Greating from poland

[@RealWorldPolice]

Co słychać?

[@nekso3492]

Wszystko dobrze a u ciebie ?

[@RealWorldPolice]

@@nekso3492 używając Tłumacza Google. Glad to have international viewership!

[@RealWorldPolice]

@@CLIFFORD392 Very much the latter.

[@cgbach]

This is the reason I will never be a skier or snowboarder. I’ll stick to road cycling

[@MillionFoul]

If you're in a resort you're generally safe from avalanches, the resort has a vested interest in preventing them. If you're in the back country though, the only thing that will protect you is proper training and a boatload of caution.