Lost skier hoisted from icy creek

A skier who got lost after venturing beyond the boundaries at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Tuesday is OK after being hoisted to safety by the Two Bear Air rescue helicopter.

According to rescue specialist Jordan White, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office called for the county’s search and rescue unit to help look for an overdue skier at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Resort ski patrol had tracked the man into an area below Chair 8 in Hellroaring Basin near a creek. The path was obstructed with downfall and patrol turned back due to safety concerns, White said.

The Two Bear Air rescue helicopter used thermal cameras to find the man’s tracks and were able to locate him near a creek halfway down the mountain toward Whitefish Lake.

The man was walking after having fallen through the ice in the creek, White said.

The helicopter was unable to land because of the terrain, but hoisted the skier out and transported him to Big Mountain Fire and Ambulance.

“He was in good shape,” White said.

White said that despite signs in the area, it is not unheard of for skiers cutting through the trees to miss the Chair 8 loading station.

“I’ve had several rescues in there when I was the search and rescue coordinator,” White said.

Two Bear Air Rescue is a nonprofit aviation group based in Flathead Valley that provides highly trained air rescue services at no cost. It is paid for by Whitefish philanthropist Michael Goguen.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.