The Sheriff's Search & Rescue were kept busy today by three separate incidents, all of them dealing with legs.

Just after 9:30 a.m, the West Yellowstone Police Department Dispatch center received a 911 call reporting an injured angler on the Madison River approximately 2 miles north of West Yellowstone. The angler, a 74-year-old male had suffered a possible broken leg after a fall along the river. Park rangers requested the assistance of Gallatin County Search and Rescue.

Rescuers required the use of a single-wheeled litter to traverse a boggy wetlands area before transferring the angler to rescue sled being pulled by a four-wheeler. Following this, they needed to use low-angle rescue techniques to traverse a short distance up a steep incline. The injured angler was then transferred to a waiting Hebgen Basin Fire Department ambulance for transport to the Big Sky Medical Center for medical evaluation.

The second rescue came at 11:46 A.M. when it was reported that a 57 year old Bozeman woman got bucked off a horse on Chesnut Mountain east of Bozeman. A member of her party retrieved a four wheeler before calling 911, so Search & Rescue's mission was cancelled just before their arrival at the trail head.  The woman was transported to the hospital with fractured ribs and a leg injury.

The third rescue of the day occured around 2 p.m. when a 23 year old Bozeman man near the Bridger Ridge Trail fell and injured an ankle and was unable to walk.  Seven volunteer rescuers hiked the 4 miles up Sypes Canyon and brought him down using a wheeled litter after using ropes to navigate a steep section of terrain.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin would like to remind everyone to be prepared, be careful, and be ready for the unexpected.  Knowing the terrain, wearing the appropriate gear and carrying a reliable communications device can go a long way towards safety. A seemingly minor injury can easily limit mobility enough to make it impossible to get out of the backcountry without assistance.  Photo below courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff / Search and Rescue.

search and rescue sept 11 edit
photo courtesy of Gallatin Country Sheriff Search & Rescue
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