A 79-year-old skier survived the night outdoors in frigid temperatures after getting lost while skiing at Blacktail Ski Area in Lakeside, Montana.
The man was reported lost by a friend after last being seen at the top of Emonn’s Run at Blacktail Ski Area. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office were alerted the man was missing on Monday at around 4:30pm. Blacktail Ski Patrol contacted the Sheriff’s Office who dispatched Flathead Search and Rescue (SAR) to search for the missing skier.
A ground search continued until 1:00am. Two Bear Air Rescue tried to assist with helicopter support but were forced to turn back due to poor visibility. The search resumed Tuesday morning with additional search crews on the ground Two Bear Air patrolling the sky. “Possible out-of-bounds areas using cell phone forensics” helped narrow their search area.
Crew from the Two Bear Air helicopter spotted the skier signaling for help at around 3:00pm. The helicopter performed a hoist rescue of the man and flew him to Blacktail Lodge for a medical check where he was cleared.
Once safe and sound the man shared his story of survival after he had skied off-trail and became disoriented. His survival efforts included spending the night in a tree well, using pine boughs for warmth and making a small fire to stay warm.
Read the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office statement below.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Statement:
On February 17th, our office was notified of a missing 79-year-old skier who was last seen at the top of Emmon’s Run in the Blacktail Ski area but never made it to the bottom.
His friend reported him missing around 4:30 PM, and Blacktail Ski Patrol contacted us for assistance. Flathead Search and Rescue (SAR) was activated, and Two Bear Air attempted to fly but had to turn back due to poor visibility. Ground search efforts continued until 1:00 AM before pausing until daylight.
On the morning of February 18th, additional SAR teams and Two Bear Air resumed the search, focusing on possible out-of-bounds areas using cell phone forensics. Around 3:00 PM, Two Bear Air spotted the skier signaling for help. He was safely hoisted out and flown to Blacktail Lodge for a medical check, where he was cleared.
The skier had gone off-trail and became disoriented. He spent the night in a tree well, using pine boughs for warmth and making a small fire to stay warm. Thanks to his survival efforts and the dedicated search teams, he was found safe.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Flathead North Valley Search and Rescue, Flathead Nordic Backcountry Patrol, Big Mountain Ski Patrol, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, Two Bear Air Rescue and Flathead County Search and Rescue for their support in this mission.
