911 dispatcher couldn't hear victim on call but suddenly heard a familiar sound and saved her life

The facility of 911 is a great and life-saving benefit to the country. However, in a dangerous and unpredictable situation, even making a quick emergency call can be beyond challenging. When Riverside County Sheriff's Department dispatcher Meghan Gonzalez answered one of the distressing calls on duty, things took a horrifying turn, per ABC 7. When Gonzalez answered, she couldn’t get any communication from the caller. Nevertheless, she ingeniously carried through the call and made a life-saving analysis to send the victim help in time. All that the officer did was make note of a tiny yet crucial detail that saved the victim's life.

Gonzalez mentioned that despite her trying her best to speak and communicate with the caller, she was unable to get a verbal response. "I said, 'If you have an emergency but cannot hear me, press a button.' I could hear a guy in the background, although I couldn't make out what he said. Just, something felt off about it and she ended up hanging up as soon as I said that,” she recalled. As soon as the officer realized the victim was unable to speak, she initiated the text feature to message the victim. "It said that she had been bitten, beaten, and she was naked in the back of a trunk," the officer noted. Understanding that it was a kidnapping taking place, she tried to get as much information as she could. 

The victim had no idea where she was and Gonzalez did her best to use GPS and track the location. In a post shared by @riversidecountysheriff on Instagram, Gonzalez explained how she used the Radius Mapping technology and the text feature to find the car en route. “There was no reloading or refreshing so I had her mapped around 7 meters,” Gonzalez explained. After getting as much information as the victim could share, Gonzalez multi-tasked between arranging for help and communicating with the woman. Amid this chaos, the officer had made one careful observation while the call was on.

She heard a specific sound that seemed familiar to her. On astute pondering, she realized it was of a vehicle, not just a random one, but a Ford. "On the open line, I could hear a vehicle door open and I thought it was an Explorer. Turns out it's the sound for all Ford vehicles - when you leave the door open, it makes a specific sound," Gonzalez explained. With this added specification, the officer was able to arrange for instructions to send immediate help. Gonzalez shared the details she noted and asked officials to be on the lookout for the vehicle. As her genius hunch suggested, the suspect’s car was found at a liquor store in Moreno Valley with the victim in the trunk. 

Gonzalez received the RapidDeploy “Superstar” award for her outstanding service and saving the victim’s life. “The Superstar Award recognizes individuals for their ‘excellence in action,’ honoring those who made a life-saving impact, demonstrated exceptional use of RapidDeploy technology, and continue to enhance emergency response throughout their community. The award has only been given once in the company’s history,” the caption of the post read. Gonzalez’s astute and sharp skills are a prime example of the upbeat and smart efficiency one needs to follow in such cases.