Alleged SAR imposter at Oso mudslide

UPDATE: Shayne Barco’s website page “K9 Training & Certification”

UPDATE: Shayne Barco’s website (home page)

UPDATE: KING 5’s updated story with mention that “subject of (station’s) story” has been arrested.

UPDATE 2:05pm:   At 2:01pm (PST), KING 5 updated its online story with the following statement:

The Washington State Patrol said Friday afternoon it had arrested the subject of this story, Shane Barco. A WSP spokesperson said Barco was an impersonator and not actually a search and rescue dog handler.” -KING 5

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Developing Story

Beyond90Seconds.com has learned that a message broadcast from the Oso mudslide Incident Command Center today reported that a Search and Rescue “impostor” was believed to be at the scene of the mudslide.

The alleged impostor is believed to be using the name Shayne Barco.

Incident Command’s audio message stated that attempts were being made to develop probable cause for an arrest warrant.

Beyond90Seconds.com obtained a copy of the audio from Twitter user  @SnoCo_Scanner.

You can listen to the audio here.

[hmp_player playlist=’Oso_Mudslide_Incident_Command’]

About an hour prior to the broadcast from Incident Command, a  story featuring a man named Shane Barco appeared on a Seattle television station’s website.

According to its website, King 5 News posted its story online at 8:21am.

King 5’s report features an interview with a man named Shane Barco.  The station’s online story states Barco is from Bellingham.

The television report says Barco is the handler of a 3-year-old German Shepherd named Stratus.

The radio message issued by Incident Command provided a different name for the alleged impostor’s dog.

 

11 thoughts on “Alleged SAR imposter at Oso mudslide”

  1. This is so out of line! Shane is a search and rescue and had nothing but the purest of intentions of helping save lives! Please don’t believe everything you read. I KNOW Shane personally and this is just the craziest accusation ever. This guy saved my best friends dog with his dog who was lost in the woods for nearly a day. He wanted nothing in return and he gets arrested?!?! Complete nonsense.

    1. The K-9 units are well trained for specific tasks. Tracking dogs are trained to follow scent. Detection dogs are trained differently. Putting one in to a role which they are not prepared is not good to the animal and can hamper the rescuers efforts(working in the wrong location). While all efforts in a disaster are appreciated, we want to be as effective as possible.

  2. This is bullshit! Stratus found me within minutes of Shane searching. (I was lost, not a disaster situation but i was thankful.) Ive seen paperwork on the dog, and i personally know how qualified both of them are. This news sorry needs to be retracted.

  3. From what I can find, he has taken his dogs to a couple K-9 SAR seminars and has a website asking for donations. He has taken a couple on line classes and a first aid class. He has also filed with the secretary of state as a non profit group made up of him and his dogs. The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) includes a list of required trainings that are required to be a SAR volunteer and you are required to get a State of Washington Emergency Worker Identification Card which includes a background check. Start with WAC 188.04.120 and WAC 118.04.200.

  4. avatar
    Northern Light

    I am also family of Shayne Barco. His dogs and himself spent several months in Arizona training to be search and rescue. He has credentials. He was never arrested. It is all fabricated from this recording. Shane has a record and they probably just want to make a nice news head line. Let us not forget the 10 year old boys body his dog Stratus found. (yeah not Orbit but Stratus. He DJ name is Orbit)

  5. WAC. 118.04.080 families are going to want answers WSP slowed searchers progress. Shayne Barco you are hereby charged with one count of felonious awesomeness as well as exhibiting heroism without a permit, malicious selflessness, possession of a valorous animal & umm.. conspiracy to save lives & help others in the 1st degree, do you wish to enter a plea at this time?

  6. Seems like time is of the essence in a situation like this. And he was there since day one searching, with his dog making finds…who complained? One of the SAR groups because he wasn’t one of them? I know you can’t have every Tom Dick & Harry going up there, but according to his website:

    “In all emergency situations k9Orbit Search & Rescue adheres to the NIMS guidelines in coordinating with local officials when a canine search and rescue team may be of service. It is always up to the discretion of the local officials whether or not to use k9Orbit Search & Rescue services.”

    Don’t know if that was done in this case, but sounds like the guy wasn’t causing any problems, was helping with his dog in a situation where it was needed. Shouldn’t be prosecuted for that.

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