Beaverhead Search and Rescue News
Submitted by: Mel Rice Public Relations
On Saturday, May 4, the Beaverhead Search and Rescue received a page to retrieve a snowmobiler on the west side of the Big Hole Valley. At approximately 5:15 in the afternoon, a call came in from the Salmon Sheriff’s office to the Dillon Sheriff explaining they had received a 911 call from an individual who was sledding on the west side of the Big Hole. After attaining information about the accident Salmon called for life flight out of Idaho Falls, but when they realized the incident was on the Montana side of the boarder they referred everything to Dillon Sheriff. Salmon informed Dillon there had been a snow machine accident on a steep slope and they had an injured male with a compound fracture of one of his femurs. Dillon Sheriff in turn canceled Idaho Falls Life Flight and got Butte Life Flight involved.
Life Flight lifted off the ground almost immediately and headed to the incident. Meanwhile Beaverhead Search and Rescue had been paged and members were preparing to head to the victim’s location, which was northwest of Homer Young Peak and above Little Lake Cr Lake. By the time S&R was ready to send hasty teams in that direction, life flight was on scene. They were able to land relatively close to the injured individual and began critical patient care immediately. Within 20 minutes of landing they had the patient packaged, loaded, and at 6:39 the ship was back in the air heading to Missoula St Pat’s hospital. As of 5:30 Sunday evening the man was in stable/good condition.
Thanks to sheriff deputy A Cross for keeping S&R appraised of the progress of Flight and the situation on the mountain. MD and Sam Peterson were called and put on standby in case Life Flight couldn’t land or the LZ wound up being too far from the patient. Other Beaverhead SAR members showing for the incident were: Tommy Goins, Mike Clarke, Trent Cottom, Keri Carson, Trevor Hyland, Don Smith, Parke Scott, Russ Sigman, Mel Rice, and Clint Rouse.
Be prepared when you go out to play and be safe out there, lots of things can go wrong.. “In the Business of Saving Lives”, your Beaverhead Search and Rescue.
