Posted on 12/19/2022 8:12:19 AM PST by Red Badger
Two men who went missing under the ice of Wyoming’s Keyhole Reservoir on Thursday while attempting to assist a rescue mission have been found deceased, according to the Crook County Sheriff’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and the Pine Haven community,” the Crook County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday statement.
A man had fallen into the ice on Keyhole Reservoir while on a UTV Thursday, but he made it out of the water alive.
During that time, however, three more “local citizens” drove onto the ice in another UTV and fell through the ice themselves. One of the three people was found alive and taken by ambulance to the Campbell County Memorial Hospital, along with the original man who had made it out of the ice.
But the remaining two were not found that day. Search efforts were postponed to Friday morning when dangerous weather conditions set in Thursday.
The mission was reclassified from a “rescue” to a “recovery” mission at 11 a.m. Friday, the statement says.
In search and rescue terminology, a “recovery” mission refers to a search for a deceased person, or people.
Authorities continued recovery efforts on Sunday. Both men were found at about 4 p.m.
“The Crook County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone for their efforts and support,” the statement reads. “It was an extremely difficult mission.”
On Friday, search personnel used ice rescue units along “a substantial area of open water,” the sheriff’s office had reported.
If someone falls through the ice, that should be telling rescuers that the ice is thin.
That means, don’t drive heavy equipment with very small contact patches into the area.
This is sad to hear.
“A man had fallen into the ice on Keyhole Reservoir while on a UTV Thursday, but he made it out of the water alive.”
Tragic....SMH
What makes people want to drive or even walk out on ice, knowing that it could break at any moment?..............
I’ve done quite a bit of ice fishing in Wyoming, not at this reservoir. Reservoirs can be dangerous if they continue to draw water from below the ice.
Good question......personally I make it a point to avoid any state that has the potential to freeze bodies of water.
We’ve got enough natural dangers down here.
Also, since this isnt that uncommon of an occurrence, I’m surprised someone hasn’t invented rescue equipment to get people on and off of thin ice safely for this very reason.
“Also, since this isnt that uncommon of an occurrence, I’m surprised someone hasn’t invented rescue equipment to get people on and off of thin ice safely for this very reason.”
They do but these were 3 locals, not a professional rescue team.
Almost every rescue outfit & fire dept. has a hovercraft available. It’s designed specifically for these situations.
Not sure why they didn’t deploy one here.
Unfortunately they broke the first rule of rescue operations (don’t become part of the rescue) and paid for it with their lives, sad.
These stories are indeed so very sad - hard to live with for the guy they rescued knowing his life cost the live of two others and their families.
Heros in my book.
Straight to heaven for those two!!
Good point. But I’m honestly surprised that the ice was not thicker. I’m in Casper and it’s been solid winter here since the start of November. I was thinking just the other day that the ice must be thick on the water around here. Guess maybe not. (Wednesday’s -29F should help though!)
Damn those UTV. Not good on thin ice.
Bay of Green Bay isnt froze over yet so we will all have to wait to watch the rescues from that.
EVERY YEAR!
Its like the dry washes around here when monsoons hit.
EVERY YEAR!
Ice skating come to my mind....
UTV = Ultimate Terrain Vehicle...?
Underwater Terrain Vehicle?.......................
I just googled it - Utility Terrain Vehicle.
Thinking further, Utility Terrain Vehicle sounded weird. Another site says Utility Task Vehicle, which sounds more logical.
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