MULLAN, Idaho — A northern Idaho snowmobiler who went missing over the weekend has been rescued after he was found trapped in a steep Montana drainage near the state line.
Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander said five friends followed 54-year-old Barry Sadler’s snowmobile track and found him early Tuesday morning in the Brimstone Creek area. He was dehydrated and exhausted but otherwise all right.
“He’s pretty lucky,” Alexander told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We probably had the worst weather of all time — a blizzard and then a lot of rain.”
Sadler of Mullan, Idaho, is considered an extreme snowmobiler experienced in challenging terrain. He was last seen Sunday afternoon just east of the Lookout Pass ski area. He had been snowmobiling with a friend until the friend left after his snowmobile ran low on fuel.
Searchers from Shoshone County in Idaho and Mineral County in Montana took part starting late Sunday and again Monday without success.
“By 11 o’clock last night he had given up,” said Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer, who spoke with Sadler after the rescue. “He wasn’t aware anyone was looking for him.”
But Bauer said searchers provided a critical clue by spotting a single snowmobile track.
“(Sadler) more than once said he’d be dead today if it weren’t for my guys” finding that track, said Bauer.
Alexander said late Monday five of Sadler’s friends asked the sheriff if they could go out looking for him. Alexander gave the OK but told them to stick together.
Alexander said the five friends, aware of Sadler’s tendency to tackle tough terrain, followed the single track until it disappeared into an area none of the five thought it wise to ride a snowmobile in. They concluded it had to be Sadler. So they hiked in and found him. Bauer said Sadler’s machine ran out of gas in making futile attempts to climb out of the drainage.
“He just got into an area where he couldn’t get out,” Bauer said.
The five friends helped him hike out to their snowmobiles and back to safety, ending Sadler’s 33 hours outside.
The two sheriffs, while pleased with the positive result, said Sadler made a number of critical mistakes.
“I chewed him out because he’s riding by himself,” said Alexander. “He didn’t have his survival gear. He didn’t have his avalanche beacon on. I also talked him into buying one of those spot satellite locators.”
The satellite locators can summon help while also providing potential rescuers a location.
“There’s always a buddy, and you always stay with them,” said Bauer.
Sadler couldn’t be reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday.