An intense rescue effort in the rugged terrain of the northern Cle Elum River Valley in central Washington state led to the successful locating of a 10-year-old girl who was reported missing a day earlier.
Shunghla Mashwani disappeared during a family gathering and was found after a 24-hour search involving rescue teams from seven counties.
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Inspector Chris Whittsett explains the intensity of the rescue effort was in part because they were afraid the girl might have been swept away in the frigid, fast-moving Cle Elum River. "We’ve got helicopters, drones, dogs, four-by-fours,” Whittsett says, “Just amazing amounts of training and energy that have gone into this search.”
The child was found a mile and a half from her last seen location and had spent a chilly night nestled between a pair of trees in the dense forest. The key to her successful rescue was strategic planning and experienced guidance provided by the Washington State Search and Rescue Planning unit. Sheriff Whittsett praised Shunghla’s courage, saying "She must be a tough little girl.” After the rescue, the girl was safely reunited with her grateful and relieved family.
Source: KIRO 7