Billings snowmobiler rescued in Marshall Creek drainage

SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan Search & Rescue volunteers and local experts rescued a lost snowmobiler Sunday, Dec. 30. After he spent the night in the Lake Marshall drainage, the 32-year-old Billings man was reunited with his group nearly 24 hours after he was separated.

A group of around eight riders were riding the Little Africa area on Saturday. One of the members of the group, that Incident Commander and Missoula County Sheriff's Sergeant Bob Parcell said was not as experienced of a rider as others, got separated and dropped into the Marshall Creek drainage - very difficult terrain to ride. Parcell added that while the group rides together regularly, the 32-year-old did not know the area. His group looked for him for about five hours before calling SSSAR at 7:10 p.m.

SSSAR mobilized five volunteers and searched with three members of the man's group until 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

"It was dark and where they were going was really nasty," said Parcell. "They got as close as they could and they finally said they were going to have to cease operations for the night."

The rescue group was able to get a hold of the man via his backcountry two-way radio and told him to hunker down for the night. He acknowledged the message.

At 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning, 16 SSSAR members, members of the lost man's group and local experts resumed the search.

"Local riders [Curtis Friede and Karl ZurMuehlen] ride that area all the time and they are very competent at riding snowmobiles in that area," said Parcell.

They were able to make radio contact with the lost man again that morning and had a GPS coordinate of his location before his GPS died.

"We knew exactly where he was, the only problem was how do we get to that spot," said Parcell.

SSSAR volunteers Shawn Ellinghouse and Dan Johnson and ZurMuehlen got very close but didn't want to send the whole group down. Johnson, ZurMuehlen and one of the members from the group, headed down into the area where he was last seen. They found him a little after 10 a.m.

"They got him some food, got him warmed up a little bit and got the machine unstuck," said Parcell. "They actually got him back up to where he could get out. He actually rode his own machine out to the trailhead."

Using SSSAR SPOT technology, volunteers were able to track each rescuer from the Westside Bypass Trailhead. Everyone was accounted for at the trailhead by 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

"It went just like it was suppose to - nobody got hurt, all hands are back, he is safe, he had an adventure and we hope he won't be doing that again soon," said Parcell.

Parcell was grateful to all the SSSAR volunteers: Ellinghouse, Johnson, Tim Hoag, Jon Haufler, Auguste Lockwood, Joe Miller, David Wallenburn, Jason Ayers and Gerry Connell. He also thanked Missoula County deputies Heath Hanson and Ryan Dunster, the civilian volunteers from Seeley Lake Friede, ZurMuehlen and Kristy Pohlman as well as those from the man's group for all their help.

"The volunteers and the civilians that came in and helped really did a great job," said Parcell. "Curtis Friede and Shawn Ellinghouse had the right idea and they went up there and got the job done without any hassle."

Parcell said the group was fairly prepared. The lost man had a way to start a fire and, because most of the people in the group had a radio, they were able to make contact with him. Parcell added have a GPS coordinate of his location was a huge help in this situation and he stayed there with his snowmobile.

Parcell reminds recreationists to know the area they are recreating; stay together; have enough survival gear to spend the night; have a way to start a fire – road flares are recommended because they can start a fire in the rain and have a way to communicate.

While not needed in this case, Parcell said never go riding without wearing an avalanche beacon in avalanche terrain.