WASHINGTON SNOWMOBILERS RESCUED NEAR FISH LAKE
By Paul Hall on Monday, December 27th, 2021 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Information provided by the Baker County Sheriff’s Department)On December 26th, 2021 at approximately 5:28 p.m., Sheriff Ash received a call from Brandon Christensen out of Washington State who said that he reached out to the Wallowa Avalanche Center regarding lost snowmobilers and was given his number. He told Sheriff Ash that a group of his friends had been snowmobiling and were lost in the Fish Lake Area. The lost subjects sent the caller a map with their coordinates using cellular devices. These coordinates showed the subjects to be in the Catherine Creek Area.
At approximately 5:43 p.m., Baker County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch received an SOS alert from a Garmin satellite device. Garmin representatives relayed information that several snowmobilers, including one with a medical condition, were lost. Coordinates from the device were in the Fish Lake Area near Halfway. It was determined this was the same group the caller contacted Sheriff Ash about. Brandon had intermittent phone contact with one of the lost members and they were directed to stop and wait for help to arrive.
Sheriff Ash contacted Duane Miles with the Panhandle Snowmobile Club for assistance and responded to Halfway. Family members of the lost subjects, who were from Washington State, relayed there were five snowmobilers that were lost. The lost individuals were approximately 1.5 miles west of Fish Lake.
At approximately 9:10 p.m., members of the Panhandle Snowmobile Club located the subjects, identified as: John Rasmussen (Kennewick, WA), Alan Townsend (Burbank, WA), Mike Kelly (Burbank, WA), Steve Paget (Burbank, WA), and Jon Mecham (Kennewick, WA). All were cold and tired but in good condition. The group had become lost when darkness, fog, wind, and snow moved into the area and covered their tracks. They were unable to use GPS to locate the trail and could not find their way back to the Clear Creek Sno-Park. The group was located approximately 9 miles from Clear Creek Sno-Park.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following members of the Panhandle Snowmobile Club for their response:
Dusty Traw
Ray Denig
Kyle Bennett
Josh Sevier
Kyle Dennis
Chad Delcurto
Tucker Gulick
Kelly Grisham
Shane Denig
Even the most experienced recreationists may find themselves in a situation where they need assistance. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, we encourage you to carry a satellite safety device. In this particular rescue, the cellular phone coordinates showed the subjects to be in the Catherine Creek area. Had the subjects not been carrying a satellite device, they would not have been rescued that evening as searchers would have responded to the wrong location. These devices are extremely helpful for first responders and may ultimately save your life.
