Rescuers in Vermont endured “hellishly cold” temperatures and difficult terrain to rescue three teenage backcountry skiers last night.
According to Stowe Mountain Rescue, the skiers became lost while skiing in the backcountry off Spruce Peak. They became lost just before nightfall on what was a frigid day.
Stowe Mountain Rescue was called, and when they reached the skiers, the three teenagers were reportedly cliffed-out in darkness and beginning to suffer.
A Stowe Mountain Rescue team member climbed above the skiers and lowered them one-by-one down an icy cliff band. Team members then shuttled the skiers down the steep terrain using a series of rope belays, good team work, and some words of encouragement.
In a Facebook post, team members described the final leg as “a hellishly cold ATV ride” down to Barnes Camp and the skiers’ waiting parents.
Rescuers said the teens seemed to learn some important lessons from the incident. They had started late in the day and weren’t carrying headlamps. They also had insufficient clothing to cope with the cold once things went wrong. They also had a dead cell phone.