Pair of Hikers Rescued in the Bighorns

According to information from the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, a pair of missing hikers have been found in the Bighorn Mountains. On July 26, Search and Rescue responded to the Simmons Canyon area on the face of the Bighorn Mountains. An adult male and an adult female from Powell, WY left the Porcupine Falls area on July 18. The couple ran out of food and water and one was experiencing medical complications.

They tried hiking off the Little Mountain area towards the road. However with the extreme heat and lack of water, they became dehydrated and one hiker’s medical condition deteriorated rapidly. Late Monday afternoon, the hikers were able to get cell phone service and contact the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office requesting assistance. The couple had become stranded on a rim rock cliff area and were unable to proceed up or down any further due to the extremely steep terrain. Search and Rescue units deployed to the area and after a rapid ascent were able to make contact with the hikers. Due to their exhaustion, dehydration, and medical conditions, the hikers were unable to be moved. Rescue personnel brought food, water, medical treatment, and cared for the couple through the night. One of the hiker’s was also badly sunburned.

Arrangements were made during the night for the Wyoming Air National Guard from Cheyenne to make a rescue flight into the area at daylight to rescue the hikers. Smoke and air conditions cleared efficiently to hoist the hikers one by one and transport them by air to an ambulance near the causeway at Highway 14AE. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the hikers are expected to make a full recovery.