Yankee Meadow area
2 lost individuals on snowmobiles
February 7, 2023
At 12:01 A.M. on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, Iron County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (ICSSAR) Volunteers received a call-out request specifically for the Snow Team to respond to 2 lost individuals in the Yankee Meadow area. When the notification came into the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were able to locate the individual’s truck and trailer off SR143. The individuals were a male and female who were unfamiliar with the area and became lost. The individuals were able to contact family before their cell phone batteries died to let them know what occurred. They had been riding their snowmobiles when the evening hours set in along with fog. The reduced visibility made it impossible for them to follow their tracks back to their vehicle. They were prepared to spend the evening in the wilderness. They found shelter under trees to shield them from wind and precipitation. They had flashlights, food, water, fire starters and a space blanket. They used gasoline from their snowmobile to assist with starting the fire. To do this, they cut off the top of a water bottle and tipped the snowmobile on its side. They were able to collect gasoline into the water bottle to use as a fuel for the fire. The ICSSAR snowmobile team used the last known location of the individuals obtained from a cell phone ping before their phones died. The GPS coordinates indicated they were near Panguitch lake, which was not the case. The Snowmobile Team continued to search the area knowing that sometimes GPS coordinates are not exact. The individuals were located 3.5 miles from the original GPS coordinates at 2:51 am, the lost individuals heard and saw the snowmobiles and flagged them down using their flashlights. The individuals were in good health and were able to operate their snowmobile out of the area and back to their vehicle by following the ICSSAR snowmobile team. Our ICSSAR volunteers returned to the building at approximately 0400 and then many of which had to get ready to head to their day jobs.
We are extremely grateful to have a fortunate outcome in this search. The individuals were well prepared for their adventure but as you read, they became quickly disorientated due to the darkness and fog. We can’t emphasize enough the importance to let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return home. Had these individuals not had cell phone coverage to notify someone of their situation, there could have been a different outcome. If you plan to recreate in areas with limited reception, you might consider a satellite device.
Thank you to the team for grabbing pictures during the call-out to share with the community!
#IronCountySheriffsSearchAndRescue #ICSSAR #WeWillAlwaysComeToYou #YankeeMeadow #WinterIsHere #SoThatOthersMayLive #SnowmobileTeam
