Snowmobilers come to rescue of 3 young men stuck in snow

Three young men escaped a possible frigid night outdoors or worse Sunday when a group of snowmobilers rescued them after their truck got stuck in the snow on Bear Lake Main Road on the Westside.

Roberto Fiume, his son and a group of friends were returning from a day of snowmobiling Sunday afternoon on Bear Lake Main Road when they encountered the young men.

It was close to 4 p.m., and Fiume and his group were sledding to their vehicles when they noticed an abandoned truck in the snow.

About two kilometres later, they met three young men walking through deep snow. The young men were still at least eight kilometres from Westside Road.

“Eight or nine kilometres might not sound like much until you try to walk it,” Fiume said.

It was getting dark, the wind was howling and the temperature was plummeting as arctic air moved in.

“They were so happy to see us,” Fiume said.

The young men were ill prepared for winter weather and had ventured out without chains, blankets, matches or even a shovel.

“One kid was wearing sneakers,” said Fiume.

The snowmobilers took the young men back to their truck and, using a snowmobile and some manpower, got the truck turned around and back on the road.

They made sure the young men made it onto Westside Road.

“If we hadn’t come along, I shudder,” Fiume said, noting there hadn’t been any people behind them who could have helped.

“They never would have made it on foot,” he added.

Fiume tells the story as a reminder for people who use the backcountry to be prepared.

For safety’s sake, when out in the backcountry, Fiume carries a GPS messenger beacon that can send his location and messages including an SOS. As well, he keeps a GPS radio.

He has always taught his children to be prepared to spend 24-48 hours in the backcountry if necessary.