Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue were called to assist an injured snowmobile rider on the evening of Feb. 28. The injured 40-year-old man, along with two other people, were located above Marshall Lake.
The injured person was in a “tricky spot,” Karl Zurmuehlen — one of the volunteer responders and owner of Kra-Z’s Snow & Water Powersports Rentals in Seeley Lake — said, but the rescue team, which included volunteers Kurt Friede and David Pitman and Search and Rescue member Kelly Darrow, had 40-plus years of experience riding in the area, so they were able to get the man in and out quickly. The whole response took about three hours, Zurmuehlen said.
A release from the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office said the man’s injury was not life-threatening. The Seeley Lake Fire Department responded to the scene and the injured man was later transferred to a local hospital.
Zurmuehlen said the injured person slid off the edge of the snow bike he was on and a stick ended up between his leg and the gas tank and stabbed him in the glute.
“I have not seen anything like that myself,” Zurmeuhlen said.
Zurmeuhlen said he gets about five or six rescue calls each year.
The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office release thanked Scenic Montana Trails, Kra-Z’s Backcountry Guide Service, Missoula Emergency Services, US Forest Service, Seeley Lake Fire Department, Dr. Michael Kremkau, Life Flight and Montana Army National Guard medevac team out of Helena.
A Life Flight was called because of the location of the rescue, but canceled due to weather conditions.
This article was updated on March 13 to correct that the injured person was not transferred to Missoula Emergency Services. MES was cancelled and the Seeley Lake Fire Department responded to the incident.
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