South Plateau Snowmobile Rescue


On Monday, March 14, 2022, at 12:54 p.m., the West Yellowstone Police Department received a 911 call from a group of snowmobilers reporting that a member of their group was possibly having a heart attack. GPS coordinates from the call indicated that the group was 11.27 miles south of West Yellowstone.

Volunteers from Gallatin County Search and Rescue in West Yellowstone, Gallatin Custer National Forest, National Park Service, Hebgen Basin Rural Fire Department and a helicopter from Air Idaho responded to assist with the rescue.

Rescuers located the patient who was experiencing stroke-like symptoms. Rescuers loaded the patient into a specialized rescue snowbulance and met the helicopter at a more suitable landing site. The helicopter transported the patient to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to thank the snowmobilers in the group who rendered aid to the snowmobiler while waiting for rescuers to arrive.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.