SANTA FE, N.M. – A Japanese hiker who became lost in the northern New Mexico mountains and later died in a crash of the helicopter that rescued her called 911 seven times before being connected to an emergency dispatcher.
Megumi Yamamoto, who was killed last week along with State Police pilot Sgt. Andy Tingwall, sounded frustrated on the 911 tapes as she made repeated attempts to get help.
Yamamoto called 911 from her cell phone repeatedly before Santa Fe County Regional dispatch realized her calls were coming into administration lines.
Finally, Yamamoto was patched through to state police dispatch, where she was helped by Tingwall's wife, Leighann.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano says the 911 technology is less than a year old and still has problems.
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