A massive snowstorm slams the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. Ski patroller Jack Flynn starts his day knowing it will be filled with problems and trouble. In the heavy snow and high winds, Mountain Lake Resort is plagued by accidents. Late in the afternoon, in howling winds and sub-zero temperatures, two ten-year-old twins become disoriented during the raging storm. As the resort closes, a resort skier, a retired Iranian army colonel, volunteers to help a veteran ski patroller search for the twins. The patroller's radio battery is "dead." The storm intensifies, and visibility drops to almost zero. Facing possible injury and death, the rescuers ski into the unknown, looking for the twins lost in a "closed" wilderness area. As day turns to night, with Jack in the lead, a significant rescue effort is mounted to find the twins, the patroller, and his accomplice. Two resort customers, US Navy SEALs, join seven ski patrollers in a two-day rescue effort in freezing temperatures, blowing snow, and turbulent winds as they ski down into the unknown. While the raging storm engulfs the Lake Tahoe basin parents, friends, and fellow patrollers hope for the best but fear the worst.
"John Doolittle's Responding to Save Others is a beautifully written tribute to bravery, sacrifice, and camaraderie. With vivid prose and heartfelt storytelling, the book immerses readers in the world of ski patrollers whose lives are as compelling as the mountain storms they face. This book is more than a story; it is an unforgettable celebration of service, resilience, and the human spirit."
