"I will do something, anything, to make sure this doesn’t happen again," said Arizona Foothills 911 Founder Sunny Parker.
She made that vow after the deaths of Dr. Evan Dishion and Kathleen Patterson last September. The pair died weeks apart hiking in Cave Creek at Spur Cross Trailhead.
After running out of water and getting lost in the Arizona heat, Dishion's group had to be rescued.
Despite being airlifted, the young doctor didn’t make it.
Foothills 911 braved the rough terrain for days searching for Patterson after she didn’t return home from her hike.
"One day I thought, what could have saved any one of these two hikers?" said Parker. "What could we have done?"
After hours of research, Parker found safety whistles and is now ordering thousands to hand out.
"I think it's possible if Evan and his friends had those whistles, there could have been a different outcome that day," said Dishion's wife, Amy.
The young mother is now living with her husband's family in Oregon as she and her 7-month-old daughter grieve.
Amy and Patterson's husband, Steve, are both hopeful this initiative could bring others home safely.
"She had a passion for Arizona and for hiking," said Steve. "I think she would have loved this."
Steve spoke with ABC15 on what would have been the couple's 38th anniversary.
Both families think their loved ones would support the initiative.
"Turning this tragedy into something good, like, that is exactly what Evan is about," said Amy.
Funds raised in honor of both hikers have ensured people will get these whistles for free. All people have to do is sign a consent form because the whistles are so loud.
The non-profit plans to start in Cave Creek at a special event on April 22.
Parker is hoping that is just the beginning.
"My goal is to start here, but...I want to hit all the areas where people hike," said Parker.
"Even if it saves the life of one hiker, one person, I think it’s worth it," said Steve.
As they hope to expand the initiative, the non-profit is still accepting donations. Some companies have even decided to sponsor the purchases of whistles.
