Missing Washington State TSO Found With Help From Co-Workers
News & Happenings
July 27, 2007
Water is wonderful! That is Yakima (Wash.) Air Terminal/McAllister Field TSO Becky Sirrs' new mantra after spending more than three days lost in the woods of central Washington State earlier this month. A Fourth of July hike with a friend was to last only a few hours, but on the return trek to their car, Sirrs and her friend became disoriented.
When Sirrs didn't show up for her next scheduled shift, co-workers left messages at her home and requested a check of her residence by local police that turned up nothing. Meanwhile, another co-worker recalled Sirrs wanting to go hiking over the holiday.
"Because Becky had not been officially gone for 24 hours, we couldn't file a missing person report," said Supervisory TSO Andrew Rheaume. "So at the end of our shift a group of co-workers identified areas to search." A missing person report was filed after contact was made with the Sirrs family.
Volunteers from Yakima County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue and Central Washington Mountain Rescue responded to the call for help and located tracks leading to notes left by Sirrs and her hiking companion. The notes said they were lost and gave the direction of their travel. A canine search team finally located the women, both sunburned and dehydrated, but in good condition.
Sirrs said she regrets the worry she caused and even offered to reimburse Yakima County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue. "I had no idea which way it was going to go as the time passed," said Sirrs. "I wondered if my co-workers would pick up on my absence. I truly believe that was the key to this difficult situation. They saved my life."
