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Missing Sheridan County Snowmobiler Found

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On February 6, 2023, at approximately 6:30 AM, a 57-year-old Sheridan County resident was reported to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office as being overdue from his snowmobiling trip in the Bighorn Mountains. 

The reporting person had last made contact with the subject via cellphone at approximately 4:15 AM, where the subject had told the reporting person that he had gotten stuck overnight with his snowmobile, but was approximately 2 miles away from safety.

The subject advised the snow was at least waist deep, but had been able to start a fire and had food and water to make it through the night. 

The reporting person grew concerned and called law enforcement when the subject had not called her again by the time of her reporting.

Sheridan Area Search and Rescue (SASR) was mobilized to the last known area of the subject, near Forest Service Roads (FSR) 184 & 185, which are to the north of Black Mountain Road and to the west of Steamboat Point. 

SASR split into teams to search the area, however terrible snow conditions made movement slow or stopped at times. 

Johnson County Search and Rescue was requested to assist with more snowmobile riders, who were mobilized into the search area in the early afternoon hours of the day. 

Expert snowmobile riders from the local area were also coordinated through SASR and assisted with the search mission.

The search continued into the late afternoon, when a private citizen from Buffalo, WY, determined to fly his personal helicopter over the search area, finally spotting the subject near Leopard Rock, west of Steamboat Point. 

The citizen landed his helicopter near the command post for SASR, picking up a member of the team, which allowed the team member to transmit coordinates for the last known location to the SASR command post.

Search teams were mobilized into the last observed location and finally located the missing subject around dark on February 6, 2023. 

The subject was determined to be hypothermic and to be suffering from frostbite on his hands and feet. 

The subject was transported to Sheridan for medical treatment.

Approximately 27 personnel from Sheridan County, Johnson County, and expert snowmobilers from the local area were involved in the search mission, and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and SASR would like to thank all of those involved for the time, coordination, and efforts that took place during the search.

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    Kimberly Gilkey

    February 9, 2023 at 6:13 am

    I would like to thank all involved in the search and rescue. One more shout out to the Buffalo resident that assisted with his private helicopter!! Great job to an amazing community of search and rescue team.

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