PINEDALE — An early morning rescue mission for lost boy scout, 13-year-old Garrett Hunter of Draper, Utah was successful, according to Sublette County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 28th 2018, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a missing hiker
near Mary’s Lake in the Wind River Range. Mary’s lake is about 7 miles in from the Elkhart trail head, 10 miles northeast of Pinedale. Garrett with with a 20-member Scout hiking group on a 50-mile planned trip in the area when he became separated.
At approximately 7:30 am this morning, the contract Sublette County Helicopter along with a TipTop search member deployed to the area where Garrett Hunter was found. Garrett was located last night just after 10 pm.
Due to difficult mountainous terrain, it took time to find a suitable landing zone. Once the helicopter found a place to land, Garrett was extracted from the Junction Lake area along with the four volunteer search member’s that had stayed with him overnight.
They were all flown to the Pinedale Ralph Wenz field airport were Garrett was reunited with his parents who were anxiously awaiting his safe return.
Garrett was in good health and great spirit upon his arrival back to Pinedale. Garrett described his experience to search members and stuck to what he had been trained to do.
He found a safe ledge near Junction Lake and remained there knowing that searchers were out looking for him. Garrett recalled spotting a helicopter Sunday afternoon.
It is at times like this when people band together with one goal in mind that incredible things can happen. Everyone involved set out to find Garrett safe and return him to family friends and loved ones.
Sublette County Sheriff’s Office like to thank TipTop Search and Rescue, Teton County Search and Rescue, Fremont County Search and Rescue, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, WYK9, Civil Air Patrol, Davis County Utah Search and Rescue, the State of Wyoming, and the State of Utah for their support and assistance in this search.
Respectively the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office would also like to recognize the overwhelming support by the Hunter’s family, friends, and church members.
In addition Sublette County Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge all the citizens that helped us reach this outcome.
The Hunter Family wishes to extend their deepest heartfelt thanks to everyone involved and everyone who provided support as well.
