PINEDALE – Two overdue snowmobilers were found safe at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday morning after they did not return from a New Year’s Day outing.
According to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, on January 1, at 8:30 p.m., the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office received a call of two overdue snowmobilers in the Horse Creek area. The reporting party advised that her husband and another friend went snowmobiling at noon on January 1, and were supposed to be going on a short ride. She advised that she has still not heard from them.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office contacted Tip Top Search and Rescue and a search of the area was started. Three Teams of snowmobilers searched the horse creek drainage area throughout the night of January 1st and early morning hours of January 2nd.
On January 2nd, additional members from Tip Top Search and Rescue, as well as outside resources, began searching the area again. A fixed-wing airplane from Civil Air Patrol, along with a helicopter from Teton Search and Rescue, came into the Horse Creek drainage to assist in the search. Teton County Search and Rescue provided additional manpower to assist in the search.
On January 2nd, Sublette County Emergency Management Coordinator, Jim Mitchell, reported 26 snowmobilers assisting in the search. Lincoln County Search and Rescue began searching the Lincoln County side of the drainage on the night of January 2nd.
Throughout the night of January 2nd and early morning hours of January 3rd, a team of snowmobilers continued to search the Horse Creek drainage.
On January 3rd at 7 a.m., Search and Rescue operations began again. The outpouring of volunteers from the community was incredible. Tip Top Search and Rescue reminded everyone volunteering that they needed to be experienced riders with reliable equipment and to be equipped with self-rescue items, to include an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel. Volunteers were to check in at the Incident Command Truck located at the Horse Creek parking lot.
On January 3rd at 8:45 a.m., Tip Top Search and Rescue members located the missing snowmobilers. Initial reports are that both missing snowmobilers are safe.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and Tip Top Search and Rescue wants to express great appreciation to all the volunteers in the community that came out to assist in this search.
