Sage Basin Rescue

On Friday, January 13, 2023 at 6:42 pm, West Yellowstone Police Dispatch Center received a 911 call for two lost snowmobilers recreating in the Sage Basin area, south of Big Sky. The snowmobilers recognized they were lost and requested assistance in getting safely out of the backcountry. The lost parties were confirmed to be uninjured, warm, and with operational snowmobiles. They were asked to stay put while volunteers from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue were deployed to assist them.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the West Yellowstone and Big Sky sections deployed into the backcountry from two different trailheads. The lost snowmobilers were located at 9:30 pm and safely led out of the backcountry to Sage Creek Trailhead.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to recognize the snowmobilers for asking for assistance when they determined they were lost and would like to thank the Search and Rescue volunteers for their dedication to this successful mission. The lost snowmobilers in this incident were prepared for an emergency in winter conditions and followed direction until help could arrive.

Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.