Snowbound riders rescued

COOLIN — Priest Lake Search & Rescue extricated seven snowmobile riders who became snowbound in the Selkirk Mountains.

The riders were not in need of medical attention, although they were reportedly exhausted and cold after they became mired in snow, according to a Priest Lake Search & Rescue press release.

The group of seven brothers departed from a cabin in Coolin and planned to return between 5-6 p.m. on Saturday. They did not advise their sister of their route or destination, although she later learned from others that they liked to ride in the Lost Peak area east of Coolin.

The group was described as ill-prepared and ill-equipped for being stranded and lacked signaling devices. Numerous calls were placed to the party’s cell phones, but they yielded no responses.

A nighttime aerial search was thwarted by high clouds that moved into the area earlier in the day, said Mike Nielsen, the search mission’s commander.

A five-member rescue team composed of Mark Courteau, Ty Rhodes, Scott Rhodes, Cody Storro and Case Left departed in 20-degree weather and under a moonless sky toward Lost Peak. The team road ridgelines overlooking Death, Billy and Soldier bowls.

Shortly after 2 a.m., one of the riders sent a text message indicating they were OK but stuck in the snow. About 20 minutes later, the search team reported seeing lights in the direction of Soldier Bowl and proceeded toward that location.

Bonner County Dispatch attempted to get a fix on the rider’s phone, but the fix came back to a location 15 miles west of the lake in Washington state and was therefore disregarded.

The overdue group was located at 2:47 a.m. Three of the stuck snowmobiles were temporarily abandoned and some members of the party rode double with the search team down the creek drainage, which was choked with brush and lacked good snow cover.

The search team escorted the riders home and made it back to its command post at 4:20 a.m.