Search and Rescue News
Submitted by: Mel Rice, Public Relations
On Friday night, the 30th of August, the Beaverhead Search and Rescue was called out to the east side of the Big Hole Valley. The page was received around 1:50 AM to aid in a rescue of a 70 year old gentleman and a 60 year old gentleman from Wisconsin who were riding their 4 wheelers in the Bryant Cr, Alder Creek drainages. Two deputies, one from Dillon and one from Wisdom, were dispatched to the area in order to locate the victims.
When the two riders found themselves in a precarious position, they tried turning around. At that time the older gentleman’s 4 wheeler started to roll and it threw him down slope. The buggy went flying over the top of him and wound up resting against two trees. The elder gentleman received minor injuries to his ankle and ribs.
Ian Ternes, the Dillon deputy, was the first to arrive on scene and provided exact coordinates of the victims’ location and assessed their condition. He then tried to walk both gentlemen to Ferguson Lake, a short distance away, but because of the down fall and their condition they couldn’t go any further. They sat down on a log and waited for additional help. Meanwhile, Ken Peterson, the Wisdom deputy, remained at the trail head for communication relay.
A hasty team of two S&R members had been deployed and at 4:59 AM they unloaded their buggies and proceeded up Bryant Cr to the Ferguson Lake trail head. When they arrived at the trail head, they proceeded down the trail to the lake. The area had experienced a forest fire about 2 or 3 years ago and the down timber was horrible. Both S&R members went through two tanks of chainsaw gas cutting their way to the victims, about 1.5 miles.
At 7:41 AM the hasty team made contact with the two individuals and the Sheriff’s deputy. They evaluated the individuals’ conditions and proceeded to evacuate all involved at 7:50 AM. The two SAR members, two victims, and one deputy arrived at the trail head at 9:00 A.M. using 2 four- wheelers and an ambulance sled. After passing off the two victims to the sheriff deputies, the two SAR members, Adam Norlander and Trever Hyland, headed back to town… They arrived at the S&R building at 10:41 AM. The I.C. on this incident was Brad Wagner. Thanks gentlemen for spending the start of your Labor Day weekend helping those in need. “In the Business of Saving Lives”, your Beaverhead Search and Rescue.
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