Search and Rescue teams kept busy with stranded motorists and snowmobilers

Heavy snow stranded two snowmobilers and a vehicle in the Sierra Nevada during recent storms, bringing out search and rescue volunteers from both El Dorado and Alpine Counties in the last ten days.

On December 26 at 1:30 p.m., three friends decided to enjoy the fresh snow at Ebbetts Pass on their snowmobiles. They had never been in the area before but had heard it'd be a great place to get outdoors. After riding around the area surrounding a parking lot, they decided to explore down a canyon at 4:00 p.m. It was a late start, but they left one friend behind and told him they would return soon.

Zachary Bradgon and Joshua Seidel rode off and descended into the canyon. The snow was deeper than they expected, and they became stuck several times. Eventually, Bradgon became so badly stuck that he abandoned his snowmobile and went to search for Seidel. They both had “Family Radio System” (FRS) handheld radios and stayed in contact with each other. They both became stuck, and as they began digging out Seidel's snowmobile, it was becoming dark.

They had proper clothing and equipment but not much food or water. They knew they would not be able to walk out so they decided to prepare for an overnight stay in the wilderness.

They found a tree-well, created by the snow, and dug down to the ground. They found dried wood and built a fire. They had no means of calling for help, so they stayed put until the morning.

Their friend who stayed behind made it back to the cars but did not have the keys. He was able to flag down a passing motorist and got a ride back to Markleeville and summoned help.

Alpine County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) launched a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission and also called for California Highway Patrol Helicopter 20 (H-20) in the early morning hours of December 27. Due to the remoteness and rugged terrain, H-20 waited for first light to launch from Auburn Airport. They flew to the area of Ebbetts Pass and began the search. The crew obtained information that the stranded parties had FRS radios with them. Flight Officer/Paramedic Jimmy Hendrix dialed the frequency into the helicopter radio and after approximately 5 minutes on scene made contact with the stranded parties. They were medically sound and in good spirits. Since there were no landing zones in the area, the crew directed ground personnel to their location.

Once the ground SAR personnel arrived, they assisted them with recovering the snowmobiles and getting them back to the parking lot.

On December 20, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Iron Mountain area about a vehicle that was stuck in the snow. There were three occupants inside the vehicle and they reported they were unable to get themselves out due to heavy snow conditions. Patrol deputies attempted to respond and were unable to access the area due to the conditions. Two tow trucks also attempted to gain access to the area without success.

The following day, El Dorado County Search and Rescue volunteers responded to the area and assisted the occupants and vehicle to safety. All of the vehicle occupants were uninjured in the incident. The rescue took approximately five hours to complete during extreme winter weather conditions.