On March 10th, 2024 in Stanwood, Washington, an officer confronted a male in a confirmed stolen vehicle. The suspect then fled into the nearby woods down a river. Officers now search for this suspect with the help of a K-9 unit. However, the officers will soon be in the most unexpected life or death situation of their careers. It didn't come through here. >> No. Is the truck? >> No. Uh he yeah he came from the north or the other like northeast. So it wasn't he wouldn't have come this way. >> Probably was kind of up to you. We could try to side or we could just walk it. Send it. >> All right. >> Um I mean I don't want to make you miserable either, but seems like he doesn't make you miserable. All right. >> Seems like the most efficient way to go. Can >> you give a little more tug? Here you go. [Applause] K9 engineering the drone. We're uh walking out one of these little creeks coming into the river. If you can get eyes on us and tell us how far we are, that'd be much appreciated. [Applause] >> The officers need to cross the river to continue searching. So, this officer gets a good look at the water to see if it's shallow enough to cross. >> This is This right here is deep. I think if we're going to cross like it would push down and go across, but it's going to be like way deep. >> What's that? >> It looks like it'll be probably like hip hip maybe knee deep. But if we cross over there where the river starts to get turbulent cuz right here it's deep as >> Okay, it's chilly. [Applause] It's waste It's waist deep across. Um the current's pretty strong. >> Yeah. >> If we were going to cross here, if we if you have your dog on behind us and we hold arms, lock arms, we might able to walk across. I mean, worst case scenario, we fall in and just like move over to the side because it's not it's not over our head. You want to do it? >> Yeah. Here's uh my only reluctancy is him right now. Uh you and I I think we can make it easy, but I don't want his crossing. He can't touch the bottom. He's going to have to swim. >> You're going to have to hang on to him and just pull and carry him like by his handle. Um >> yeah, I'm going to do >> We both got to be on board for the swim, but Oh, I'm Heat. Heat. away from. >> Yeah, they're too strong. We're not going to cross there. Um, all right. Let's just go over the woods and just go down. The officers travel through the dense woods to find a better place to cross the river. Little do they know, the suspect is right around the corner. Hey, it's okay. We're going to get your help. Are you okay? Show me your hands. Okay, don't move. Okay. Hey, do you have any weapons on you? Do me a favor and lay on your stomach. Lay on your stomach and put your arms out. [Music] Hey, I want to get you help, but I need you to listen to me. Lay on your stomach. [Music] Lay on your stomach. Lay on your stomach. >> Hey, I want to help you. You're cold. You're going to die out here. >> Okay. Do you have any weapons on you? >> No. >> Okay. Can you walk? Can you walk? >> Okay. Break, break, break. Three over two. Uh, male is hypothermic. Uh, he's stiff. He can't walk. So, we're going to need an extractor here ASAP. We're going to get you help. Okay. We're going to somebody to get you warm. Hey, Marco. This way. >> What? >> Help. >> What? I can't understand you, man. Here. Sit up. Sit up. Here. Take your hoodie off. Take your hoodie off. Your your your hoodie is wet. It's making it worse. Take it off. Stand up. Stand up. Come on. Stand up. >> Stand up. All right. Here. Just sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Go. Bring your leg out. Lean your head back. Straight forward. >> Hey, take your shirt off. You need to take your shirt off. You're wet and cold. You're not going to get warmer with the shirt on. It's going to get worse. [Music] Find out if they can land right here. >> Hey, I need you to try to stand up. >> I need you to stand up. You want to die here? Do you want to die here? I need you to try to stand up so we can get you warm. Okay. I'm going to pull on you. Okay. Here. You grab this. Ready? One, two, three. Okay. All right. Hey, I need you to walk. We're going to walk back and forth to keep you warm. Okay. You're going hypothermic. Hey, we're going to walk this way and turn around. Okay. Stand up. Turn around. We're going to go the other way. Come on, bud. Keep talking. Uh, good separation, my dog. >> Yeah. Good boy, buddy. >> Okay, let's turn around. We're going to walk back the other way. We got to keep you moving so you warm up. The helicopter, the boat's coming. We're going to pick you up. Let's go. There you go. Nice and slow. Keep your feet under you. Good job. Walk up the hill. Walk up the hill. Good. All right, stand up straight. Stand up. Stand up. Can you move your arms? >> Okay, move your arms. Go like this. Okay, it's all right. Longer motions, man. Keep keep moving your arms. I'll hang on to you. Keep moving your arms. >> Don't think about the cold right now. I don't have anything. I'm soaked as well, so I can't I don't have anything to help you right now. Here you go. Put your arms up over your head. There you go. As high as you can down. Keep moving your arms. Keep moving your arms. Good. Like this. >> You starting to feel a little better? >> Like this. Like this. M. >> Look at me. Go like this. >> I'll hold you. I'll hold you up. Don't worry about falling. >> It's really bad. Yeah. All right. Arms down. Arms down. We got to keep moving. We got to keep moving. Okay. Move your arms. Can you walk on your own? You want to try walking? Let's walk a little further. >> It could be a combination of drugs, too, like you just said. This is atypical of what I've seen in hypothermia cases. Come on, let's keep walking. >> Can you answer some questions for me just for medical stuff with a nod to your head? Are do you have any drugs on board? Yes or no? Have you taken any drugs? Just nod your head. Yes or no? Okay, I'm going to ask you. Okay. Meth? No. Fentanyl? No. Okay. Is it an upper or a downer? Upper. >> Yes. >> Or no? Nod your head cuz I can't understand you. Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. All right. Heroin. Okay. All right, let's keep walking. Okay, I want to keep you warm. I'm listening to the radio. They're coming. They're getting you help. Okay, the rescue team is over there. They're going to get a boat and bring it in. Okay. And the helicopter is going to come and drop warm clothes for you. >> You said heroin? >> No. He said no to heroin. He said no to meth. He said no to fentanyl. >> Fentanyl? >> No. No. >> I mean, you're not in trouble for that, man. >> We're just I'm asking you to make sure that I understand what's going on with you medically, okay? I don't care. I don't care what drugs are on. >> You want to sit down for me? Yeah. We're going to sit you down because the helicopter's going to come and it's going to make a lot of wind. We don't want you to fall over. Okay. We're going to have you walk over. We're going to sit you down in there. All right. I got you. Good. Your hands are starting to work. You're hanging on to me. All right. Sit down. Sit down and lean back. I've got your wrist. >> Lean back. I got you. Come on. >> Hey, it's okay. I've got a hold of you. Just go ahead and lean back. I'll hang on to you. I won't let you fall. Just sit down. >> You got to sit down, man. >> I know your legs don't work right and you feel like you're going to fall, but I got a hold of you. Go ahead and sit down. Come on. Okay, good. Cross your legs. Cross the legs. Cross your arms like this. That was [ __ ] crazy. >> Hey, we're going to take everything off of you. This is my buddy's gear. It's for diving, so keep you really warm. I'm going to put this on the ground so you can sit on it. Keep your butt up off the ground. >> Yeah. >> Hey, you were under arrest. Do you understand? >> Okay. I know. We're not trying to be I mean, >> if I care that much, man, I wouldn't be credling you walking you around in your house naked. But it is something we just have to tell you. But we do want you to get healthy before anything. So, I would imagine you're going to the hospital for a minute before you're going anywhere else. Hearing's pretty good. >> Welcome. >> How's it going, guys? >> He's about the same, I think. Maybe a little bit better. >> Okay. >> Than when we found him. >> All right. What's up? >> How does it hurt? >> Hey, I got some hot packs for you. Okay. >> I'm the fire department. What's your name? >> Warming up. >> So, he did say he did acknowledge having drugs on board. Um, I couldn't pin down what cuz I'm limited to like yes and no answers. Yeah, we went through meth, heroin, and fentanyl. And he said no to all three. But he did say yes. He has drugs on board. We had a very difficult time walking. And we walked him back and forth like 15 minutes, and it took two of us to hold him, and he was barely able to do that. >> Hey, are you feeling a little bit warmer? Do >> you guys need >> Yes or no? >> Yes. Okay, good. >> Oh, they had great aim. They flew right overhead and they dropped the bag and landed right here. Like right between us. I'm like right here. >> We are so lucky cuz they are such good. They're so good at what they do. >> I'm going to end this. There's no point now. >> Yeah. Are we good? >> This is a crazy case out of Stanwood, Washington. And I do have to tell you, this is what being a cop is all about. Risking your life, no matter who the person is or what they did. And trust me, cops do this every day. It just doesn't make the news. Now, this call started out with the male being stopped because of a stolen vehicle. But the male had other plans. But who knew he would go to this extreme to get away? Because he went through the woods and then down a river. And it's always so tense when you're searching for these guys because they do have an advantage and the officers don't. And I do remember my senses will become extremely sharp, which did help me through those searches. Now, in this situation, these officers are fortunate enough to have the K9 with them because many times in Philly, I had to wait because a canine officer will be coming from way across the city. But these brave officers gazed how deep the water was, then jumped into waist deep cold water to find this guy. You have to respect that. But just as I started to think the suspect had disappeared, there he was laying on the ground, cold, bruised, and exhausted. And he did look like he was relieved that the officers found him. Now, imagine being this officer and feeling the emotions that he's going through because he has to go from search and arrest to search and save his life because a suspect is hypothermic and depending on the conditions, hypothermia can occur within minutes to hours and it can affect the brain. So, many people who have hypothermia are not aware of it. These officers worked fast getting the suspect's clothes off and making sure they kept them moving. And whether these officers are commended or not, they did a phenomenal job. And it just goes to show you how quickly these calls can change gears because this call went from enforcing to compassion and from pursuing to protecting. And this was just one call. Guys, be safe and I'll see you on the next one. >> The suspect was transported to a hospital where he was treated for hypothermia and made a full recovery. It is unknown if he truly was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was charged with burglary in the second degree, theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle prowling, and resisting arrest for fleeing. He is innocent unless proven guilty in a court of