A group of Iowa teenagers who traveled to Wyoming to summit Cloud Peak in the Bighorn Mountains had to be rescued this week after failing pack enough food, water and clothing, officials said.
South Big Horn County Search and Rescue said the Big Horn County Sheriff's Department received a 911 text from the teen boys and men, who ranged in age from 15 to 18, at around 7:40 p.m. on Monday. The hikers said they were attempting to summit Cloud Peak in the late afternoon, and were unable to descend without assistance.
The group had separated when some of the teens tried to continue to the summit, while others stayed behind at an elevation of approximately 11,400 feet. They eventually became split into three groups.
As South Big Horn County Search and Rescue members were staging nearby, they received word that one member of the party had collapsed and was unresponsive. A short time later, they learned that one member of the party was alone and could not find his companions.
"Because of the deteriorating situation," rescuers requested assistance from Guardian Air Medical to fly rescuers up the mountain. At around 9:30 p.m., the first rescue team was flown to the base of Cloud Peak, and they proceeded to hike up the mountain while the second rescue team was flown in. The Wyoming Army National Guard was also called in to assist with a hoist-capable Blackhawk helicopter.
At around 11:30 p.m., the upper group of hikers located the middle group at around 11,400 feet, and they were told by rescuers to remain at that location until crews could reach them. The first rescue team located the first group of five at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. The second rescue team located the last hiker at around 2:30 a.m.
Because two of the hikers appeared to be suffering from possible altitude sickness and were unable to travel, the decision was made for rescuers to remain with the hikers overnight while waiting for the National Guard helicopter, which arrived at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The helicopter hoisted five hikers from the first group and transported them to their base camp at Misty Moon Lake. The helicopter then returned to pick up the sixth hiker and the rescuers with him by performing a one-wheel landing at an elevation of around 10,800 feet. They were dropped at Misty Moon Lake at approximately 10:15 a.m.
The helicopter then refueled at the Greybull Airport and returned to Misty Moon Lake to transport all the hikers and rescuers to the West Ten Sleep trailhead.
None of the hikers required transport to hospitals, and were treated at the scene by rescuers.
"Please do your homework prior to traveling to the mountains, remember to always bring the 10 essentials in your pack, don't travel alone, set a realistic turn around time and stick to it and if possible have a way to communicate via satellite and know how to use it," South Big Horn County Search and Rescue said. "Without good weather, communication between stranded subjects and use of two helicopter services, this mission could have had a very different outcome."
With TMX
