Sheridan County was notified of the lost group around 7:45 Saturday night and was given a probable location around 8 miles past Bear Lodge along U.S. Highway 14-A. Temperatures dropped below zero in the Bighorn Mountains on Saturday night. Search crews from Big Horn, Johnson, and Sheridan Counties searched through the night for the lost riders.
Two of the group were located Sunday evening a few miles into Big Horn County. The rescued pair directed searchers to their comrades while they were taken to Bear Lodge. The remaining members of the group were located near their stuck snowmobiles. All were transported to Bear Lodge. Despite spending an evening outside in sub-zero temperatures only one required medical attention and was treated at Bear Lodge. Only three of the missing riders have been identified: Samuel Kennedy, Nickolas Sharkey, and Tyler Gully, all from Gillette.
The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office credits the riders for remaining together and thanked the search crews from all over the region as well as Bear Lodge for their help in finding the lost snowmobilers.
