Pierce County deputies use Morse code to rescue stranded elderly man in Tacoma home

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Deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) used one of the rarest forms of communication to reach an elderly man who had fallen and was stranded inside his home.

That man was unable to talk or text on the phone, so deputies used Morse code to verify that he needed assistance and medical aid. The incident happened on December 18, 2024, along the 10200 block of Sheridan Avenue South in Tacoma.

According to a PSCO news release, deputies were summoned to the home by the man's acquaintances, who had not seen or heard from him in four days.

During the welfare check, body camera footage shows deputies repeatedly banging on the man's door, asking if he was inside the home and if he was okay. Moments later, the video shows a deputy peering through one of the windows, where he observed the man on the floor, largely unresponsive.

Despite the severity of the situation, deputies were prevented from breaking down the home's doors because of a state law that requires some kind of approval by a home's owner to enter a property during non-violent emergencies. As part of that law, a homeowner must signal in some way that they need help before authorities barge in.

With verbal approval impossible, deputies turned to Morse code for help.

"If you need help, can you tap (the floor) twice?” one deputy asked the man, according to body camera footage. From there, he tapped twice, signaling the need for assistance.

"Okay, yeah, he needs help," a deputy said.

From there, the rescue was then on.

“You get that confirmation that somebody is on the other side of that wall, there is an adrenaline dump," said Deputy Carly Cappetto, Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

As seen on the body camera video, bolted doors and blocked-off entrances presented a challenge. As a result, it took deputies several minutes to gain entry into the home and reach the man.

He was taken to the hospital and should be okay in the long run.