Deputies had to move quickly from an arrest to a rescue after a burglary suspect ran into a river to escape.

In March 2024, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office deputies were conducting an “extensive search” for a burglary suspect in Arlington. The suspect was found on the riverbank suffering from hypothermia.

The deputy who found him jumped into action, immediately cutting him out of his wet clothes and picking him up and moving to raise his body temperature and prevent further complications. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies walked the man back and forth for more than an hour while they waited for a helicopter to arrive with a dry suit, clothing and blankets.

Once rescuers arrived and the suspect was dressed and rewarmed, he was boated back across the river.