TULALIP – If you live in Marysville, Arlington or Tulalip, you are a Resiliency Award Winner, according to the Snohomish Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The chapter made that announcement Dec. 11 in front of more than 1,000 people at its 19th annual Real Heroes Breakfast at the Tulalip Resort Casino.
The honor was awarded for the community responses following the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting Oct. 24 that killed five students and the March 22 Oso mudslide that killed 43. Oso and Darrington also were honored.
“Snohomish County has had to overcome a great deal this year,” emcee Pat Cashman said.
A video was shown on the slide because there were so many heroes they couldn’t be named individually. Ordinary people pitched in to help under extraordinary circumstances, officials said.
“People from all walks of life assisted on the front lines and worked behind the scenes of these disasters, and many did so at great personal risk and sacrifice,” said Kristi Myers, chief development officer for the chapter.
One Oso hero, Kris Langton of Arlington, did receive one of 17 individual awards. While looking for his own family after the slide, he heard yells for help. Tim Ward said he was “deposited” 600 yards from his house. Ward whistled four times then heard a voice. Langton said he could hear Ward, but it would take an hour to get to him because of all of the debris. Later, Ward heard footsteps. Everything on Ward’s body was broken from the pelvis down. Langton heard a helicopter, waved it down, and within an hour five search and rescue workers saved Ward.
But Langton wasn’t done. He was told by police he couldn’t cross a certain line for his own safety. Langton crossed the line anyway and said he was going to go save somebody else.
Cashman said it is important to know CPR and other life-saving techniques, but it also helps to “yell louder than anybody else, and know how to whistle as well.”
Officer Carl Everett of Marysville also received an award, but because of a late shift wasn’t there to receive it.
He was at the scene of a motorcycle accident where a man had a leg amputated by a stop sign during a crash. Everett put a tourniquet on the leg. Officers Geoffrey Albright and Travis Katzer arrived and put on a second tourniquet, saving the man’s life.
“These heroes are our neighbors, members of our community, first responders and local businesses who have given of themselves to save a life or to improve our community,” said Chuck Morrison, executive director for the chapter. “The Real Heroes Breakfast offers us the opportunity to celebrate the courageous individuals who inspire us all to make this community a stronger, better and safer place to live.”
Other winners were: Brian Ryner of Snohomish; Kallah Hill of Edmonds; Andrea and Jerry Dinsmore of Baring; Shane Cooper of Stanwood; The Employees of Coastal Community Bank; Cpl. Ken Crystal of Everett and Officer Earl Yamane of Kingston; and Billy Weaver, Trevor Thomas and Ryan French, all of Everett; Shoshana Pearlman of Monroe; and Kristy Kentch of Snohomish.
