GALLATIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
WEST YELLOWSTONE – West Yellowstone Police Department Dispatch received a 911 call at 10:50 a.m. on Dec. 31 reporting that two snowmobilers were injured in a snowmobile crash. The group indicated that they were on the South Plateau trail, approximately 6 miles south of West Yellowstone. The injured snowmobilers, a 12-year-old girl and a 48-year-old woman from Glendale, California, both sustained back, leg, and head injuries when the snowmobile they were riding left the trail and hit a group of trees near the trail. The 12-year-old reportedly lost consciousness briefly and appeared disoriented.
Rescuers from Gallatin County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue in West Yellowstone, Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District, and Custer Gallatin National Forest Service responded to assist with the rescue. They located the snowmobilers, quickly packaged both patients into specialized rescue sleds, and transported them to a waiting ambulance. The ambulance then transported both patients to Big Sky Medical Center for evaluation.
