Two snowmobilers got stuck off trail above Marshall Lake on the evening of Jan. 13, prompting Seeley Swan Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air to extract them amid extremely cold temperatures.
Seeley Swan Search and Rescue Chief Ken Brochu said the team got a call at around 5 p.m. that the snowmobilers were stranded. The temperature stood at negative 20 degrees, with wind chill of negative 35.
That did not stop responders, as four members of search and rescue, Karl Zurmuehlan and an employee from Kra-Z Sports Rentals ascended the mountains with a GPS signal of the two stranded riders.
Once rescuers got above Marshall Lake, they quickly realized there were too many dead and downed trees to make it to the GPS signal. With nighttime settling in, they radioed in Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Bob Parcell to call Two Bear Air.
Brochu said that there was concern it was too cold to fly, but pilots from Two Bear Air said it was just the right temperature to take off without the concern of the equipment freezing up. Brochu said it was one of the coldest flight operations Two Bear Air has ever performed.
“We would have been hacking at trees all night otherwise,” Brochu said, adding that he got minor frostbite on his nose and cheeks from the incident.
Luckily for the two snowmobilers, they successfully started a fire and had a GPS satellite system to communicate with first responders. Two Bear Air successfully extracted the two and dropped them off at the trailhead. Both were uninjured.
Brochu said emergencies in the backcountry happen, and those looking to recreate should be prepared.
“The biggest thing is to let someone know where you are going and when you will be back, and to bring the 10 essentials for the backcountry,” Brochu said.
The list includes navigation tools, sun protection, extra layers, a light source, first aid supplies, a fire starter, repair tools, food, water and shelter.
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