Two East Idaho snowmobilers had to be rescued on Saturday afternoon after getting stranded east of Ashton.
According to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, an 18-year-old Rexburg man and a 20-year-old Rigby man got both of their snowmobiles stuck along the Snow Creek Butte Trail. The sheriff’s office did not release their identities.
The stranded snowmobilers called 911, and the call was routed to Teton County Sheriff’s Dispatch. However, Teton Dispatch was unable to pull a location from the call due to either the phone or the phone carrier limitations.
The snowmobilers said they would continue walking back toward Fish Creek Road. Teton County coordinated with Fremont County, and Fremont County Search and Rescue responded to Fish Creek Road to set up base camp at approximately 3:40 p.m.
Two search teams were organized and split up to search different areas. One team took the upper part of Snow Creek Butte Trail and the other took the lower part of the trail. A third team stayed at base camp.
At 6:25 p.m., the upper trail team located the snowmobilers near Tear Drop Lake. They appeared to be in good condition and were given a ride back to Warm River, where their vehicle was parked.
This was Fremont County Search and Rescue’s first snowmobile search/rescue this season, and the organization is advising snowmobilers to take the following precautions:
- Be prepared to spend the night in the wilderness.
- Tell someone where you plan on riding and when you plan to return.
- Ensure your cell phone is fully charged as phones discharge quickly when they are roaming.
- Make sure you and everyone in your riding party have all necessary safety equipment required for the type of terrain you are riding in, and have the proper training and a working knowledge of how to use their equipment.
- If you are riding the hills or mountains, always check the avalanche danger for the day and check several times during the day.
