Jan. 21 (UPI) — More than two dozen skiers and snowboarders were rescued after becoming lost in Vermont’s backcountry over the weekend, authorities said.
Police in the Green Mountains town of Killington, located about 56 miles south of Montpelier, said they were notified of between seven and nine lost skiers and snowboarders at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday, only to learn through their investigation that 21 people, including six juveniles, were missing.
Twelve members of the Killington Search and Rescue were then deployed who hiked, snowshoed and skied through some 5 miles of the Vermont backcountry in frigid temperatures to find those missing, the local police department.
“Once out of the woods, those rescued warmed up in Killington Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue truck and team members’ personal vehicles as they awaited their rides,” the Killington Police Department said in a statement.
As the search-and-rescue team was ready to end its operation, two more people were reported lost in the backcountry, the police department said, adding the lost pair were then found and brought to safety at about 7:30 p.m., lifting the total number of people rescued on Saturday to 23.
“A special thanks should be given to all the volunteers who responded and worked this call,” the police department said.
On Saturday, Killington Search and Rescue had posted a note warning guests to stay in bounds due to the weekend’s cold temperatures.
“Getting lost or injured in the backcountry could become tragic,” it said in a post on social media.