Today, at approximately 8:30 am, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a 47 year old male who had gone missing yesterday and was last seen in the River Rock area. At approximately 3:40 pm, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office used a drone to fly over the River Rock pond. A deceased body was located near the shoreline. The cause and manner of death are unknown at this time. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. The Sheriff’s Office will release further information as it becomes available. There is no known threat to the surrounding area or other members of the community.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sheriff Dan Springer 406-582-2125
Montanans: Plan for a Sober Ride and Help Everyone Get Home Safely This Labor Day Weekend Law Enforcement is planning increased patrols in Gallatin County over the holiday weekend. Residents are encouraged to plan for a sober ride home.
August 18, 2022, – As the Labor Day weekend approaches, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) are encouraging Montanans to plan for a sober ride home before celebrating. Labor Day weekend marks the end of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” for traffic safety in Montana. Law Enforcement will be increasing patrols across the state and making DUI arrests to ensure every Montanan gets home safely. Local Law Enforcement agencies, the MHP and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) are committed to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on Montana’s roadways during busy holiday weekends.
If drivers have a BAC (blood alcohol content) of .08 or higher, they could receive a DUI and other serious consequences, including having their driver’s license revoked, being required to take mandatory classes, and receiving possible jail time and up to $10,000 in fines and legal fees.
“If you’re drinking this holiday weekend, be sure to make a plan for a safe ride home before going out,” says Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “There are lots of ways to plan a sober ride. Designate a sober driver, arrange a rideshare service/cab/public transportation, or call a friend or family member to pick you up. Assist your friends in returning home safely”.
Why are Montana’s state and local law enforcement on high alert during the holiday weekend? These are Montana’s sobering statistics for 2020:
• Impaired driver crashes in Montana accounted for 10% of all reported roadway crashes in 2020, but 66% of all roadway fatalities. • In 2020, 99% of impaired driver roadway deaths occurred in rural crashes. • 77% of impaired roadway deaths in 2020 involved a male driver with a BAC above 0.079.
“Do not drive impaired – it’s dangerous for everyone on the road. We’ll have increased patrols out Labor Day weekend to keep Montanans safe as they travel to and from their activities in these final days of summer,” said Montana Highway Patrol Colonel Steve Lavin. “Have fun, but please be responsible as you spend time with your friends and family. Together we can make sure everyone gets home safe.”
Montana Department of Transportation — Vision Zero This is a Vision Zero message from the Montana Department of Transportation. This and other enforcement and educational campaigns are strategies to reach Vision Zero — zero deaths and zero serious injuries on Montana roadways. For more information about Vision Zero, contact Janet Kenny, Montana Department of Transportation, 406-444-7417 or jakenny@mt.gov. ### Alternative accessible formats of this document are provided on request. If you need an alternative format, contact the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Transportation, 2701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620. Telephone 406-444-5416 or Montana Relay Service at 711.
On August 16, 2022, at 10:39 am, Gallatin County Dispatch received a call that a rock climber had fallen approximately 100 feet and sustained severe injuries near Bear Basin in Big Sky. The reporting party was with the patient and advised they were on a small ledge about 300 feet up from the bottom.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Big Sky Section, the SAR Heli Team, Big Sky Fire Department, and Life Flight responded to assist with the call. Big Sky Section ground teams deployed on foot to the patient with ropes and rigging gear while the Heli Team deployed from the Valley. After conducting a recon flight, two members of the Heli Team were flown to the patient where they were able to perform a medical assessment. The patient was packaged and short hauled to an awaiting medical unit. The patient was transferred to a Life Flight helicopter and flown to Bozeman Health for further medical care. The reporting party and a remaining Heli Team member were also short hauled off the mountain.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend all involved parties on this extremely difficult and technical rescue. He also commends the reporting party for having a means of communication to call for help when the outing turned in to an emergency and was able to advise of the technical terrain the incident was located in.
Photos Courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
On Friday August 12, 2022 at 2:15pm, Gallatin County Dispatch received a call from the International Emergency Response Communication Center (IERCC) stating they had received an SOS from a GPS Communication device regarding a hiker who had a serious lower leg injury. The IERCC gave a latitude/longitude of the patient’s location, which was described as approximately 150 yards up a trail near the main parking lot at Hyalite Reservoir.
Deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded along with personnel from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Valley Section, Hyalite Fire Department, and AMR. Rescuers arrived on scene, assessed the patient, and created an extraction plan based on the hiker’s location. Volunteers loaded the patient onto a one wheeled litter and transported them back to the Hyalite Reservoir main parking lot. The patient was transferred to AMR and ultimately transported to Bozeman Health for further evaluation.
Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend the bystander that activated their GPS communication device to summon help. The quick SOS activation and the willingness of folks to help a stranger in need made for a more efficient mission and highlighted the character of backcountry users in Gallatin County.
Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
Harmful algae blooms (HAB) are present on Hebgen Reservoir in the northeast portion, in the Grayling Arm area, of the reservoir. Routine monitoring and field testing in the Rainbow Point area of Hebgen Reservoir has detected the presence of an algal toxin, anatoxin-a, that poses a risk to people, pets, and livestock.
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) confirmed a single probable case of monkeypox virus in a Gallatin County adult.
This November, Gallatin County voters will be asked to decide on a mill levy to fund continuing operations at the Gallatin Rest Home, the soon-to-be only skilled nursing facility in the county.
On August 7, 2022, at 12:01pm Gallatin County 911 received a call from a mountain biker who had crashed on Ross Pass. The biker injured their shoulder and requested assistance getting down the trail. The biker had plenty of water and was dressed appropriately for the weather.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) volunteers from the Valley Section responded to Bracket Creek for the rescue. Several OHV teams were able to reach the summit of the pass quickly and then hike to the patient’s location. A medical assessment was conducted and the patient was stabilized by GCSSAR personnel before moving down trail. The patient was ultimately escorted to the trailhead and released from GCSSAR care.
Sheriff Springer would like to remind everyone recreating in the mountains that accidents can happen to anyone, to bring along plenty of water, a communication/location device, and a first aid kit in case of emergencies.
Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 6, 2022, at 8:50pm Gallatin County Dispatch received information that a hiker had severely injured their ankle while hiking on a steep game trail. The hiker was in a group of five and hiking near mile marker 41 on Highway 191.
Several teams from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue Big Sky Section responded. Two teams hiked into the area, located the patient, assessed the injuries, and stabilized the injuries. Due to the terrain, the rescue took multiple hours and involved the use of several rope systems to safely move the hiker both up and back down the mountain.
After a very long rescue, about an hour after daylight, the patient and teams made it back to the road. The patient was turned over to an awaiting Big Sky Fire Department ambulance and ultimately transported to the Big Sky Medical Center for further evaluation.
Sheriff Springer would like to remind recreationalists that even a small outing can take a turn for the worst. Always be prepared for the unexpected by having proper safety gear, a basic first aid kit, plenty of water, and proper clothes for the weather.
Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriffs Office.
On Monday, August 1, 2022 at 1:20 PM Gallatin County Dispatch received a call from a hiker on the M Trail. The hiker advised that they had become separated from one of the members in their party and requested assistance from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue to locate the missing juvenile hiker.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley, along with AMR and Bridger Canyon Fire, responded to the M Trailhead. Several search and rescue teams were deployed up the many trails of the M to attempt to locate the lost child. While working the search, it was learned that the missing hiker possibly went past the M and continued on a trail above. One search and rescue team proceeded to this area and located the hiker just under the M, descending the trail. Volunteers provided the hiker with water and assessed their condition. The juvenile was escorted down the trail to the trailhead parking lot and reunited with their group. The group and the hiker had no further needs.
Sheriff Springer would like to remind recreationalists that even a quick hike may not go as planned. Especially with the rising temperatures, bring plenty of water, a first aid kit, and extra supplies to support staying on the trail longer than you had planned. It is also recommended that, if with a group, establish a point to meet if anyone becomes separated.
Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
