PHOTOS: Never-before-seen images reveal scope of Oso landslide destruction

From the skies: A look at rescue efforts and the scale of the Oso landslide's destruction

For the first time, photographs of the harrowing devastation caused by the landslide in Snohomish County have been unveiled. Ed Hrivnak, the co-pilot of Snohawk-10, the rescue helicopter that first arrived on the scene, shared his account of the traumatizing events of that day.

OSO, Wash. - For the first time, photographs of the harrowing devastation caused by the landslide in Snohomish County have been unveiled. Ed Hrivnak, the co-pilot of Snohawk-10, the rescue helicopter that first arrived on the scene, shared his account of the traumatizing events of that day.

"It's overwhelming," said Hrivnak. "Steve Klat, who I was flying with, knows the area quite well, and so do I. But when we arrived, everything looked wrong. Steve even questioned where Oso was."

The destruction was almost incomprehensible. Houses had been blown apart, cars were compressed to almost nothing except their tires. Assessing the disaster's magnitude was challenging.

The trouble didn't end there. As they attempted their rescue mission, the terrain's instability made holding a steady hovering position a challenge. Hrivnak vividly recalled attempting a hoist, while constantly being told by Steve that he was drifting.

Helplessly covered in mud, survivors anxiously looked skyward for help, their hopes hinged on the sound of the Huey's rotors. Survivors gestured towards their buried homes and loved ones in a desperate plea for their rescue.

"We were committed to rescuing as many people as we could, regardless of the risks," said Hrivnak.

Among those rescued was a 4-year-old boy named Jacob, buried up to his knees in mud. Their only option was to bring their helicopter low enough to allow their rescuer, Randy, to get out and extract him.

Jacob had been home with his father, a Chief Petty Officer with the US Navy, and his three siblings. He was the sole survivor; his mother had been at the store when the disaster struck.

Image 1 of 9

▼

A look at the damaged landscape in Oso after the landslide devastated the area in 2024. Photo from Ed Hrivnak, a pilot who was first on the scene for rescue.

Snohawk-10 had already been on a training mission that day when they received the radio call for assistance. "We were the first on the scene. In the first hour and half, we rescued eight people," Hrivnak shared.

By the end of the first day, they had rescued 12 people. After additional resources arrived, three more individuals were rescued. All took place in conditions reminiscent of Hrivnak's time in Iraq, where he had served two tours as a flight nurse.

Despite the hazardous conditions, the helicopter rescue team remained at the scene for more than six weeks to fly support. The landslide's instabilities posed continuous risks, but the memories of community resilience stayed strong with Hrivnak.

"The real heroism I saw was from the town of Oso, the fire department we were working with, guys who had lost loved ones and were still working," Hrivnak said.