On Friday January 14, 2022 at 12:30 pm, Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue in West Yellowstone, responded to a request for assistance from a snowmobiler on the Lionhead Trail System, approximately 8 miles west of town. An individual riding a snowmobile crashed into a tree while rounding a corner, sustaining a possible broken wrist.

Search and Rescue volunteers, Custer Gallatin National Forest Service, Montana Fish & Game, and a paramedic from Hebgen Basin Fire responded with a specialized rescue sled and were able to treat the patient on scene before transporting off the trail and to a nearby ambulance. The patient was transferred over to the Hebgen Basin Fire Department EMS crew for further medical evaluation and a transport to the hospital.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind everyone out enjoying the trails and backcountry that trail conditions can change rapidly.  Please slow down around corners for your protection and those riders approaching from the opposite direction.  Also recreate with a friend and carry a reliable means of communication.  Rescuers were able to quickly respond to this incident because a friend called immediately and provided accurate GPS coordinates.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.