A 79-year-old skier was found alive after spending a cold, perilous night in a tree well in Montana.
The skier, who had gone off-trail, was reported missing on the afternoon of February 17, when a friend said he was last seen at the top of Emmon’s Run at Blacktail Ski Area but never made it to the bottom.
On the day of the incident, the temperature in the area hovered around 17°F, with light winds and limited visibility due to ongoing snowfall.
Due to these tough conditions, ground search efforts were carried out through the night, but poor visibility hampered aerial rescues. Search and rescue teams had to pause their operations until daylight.
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The following morning, the weather cleared enough for aerial teams to return, and using cell phone forensics, rescuers focused on possible off-trail areas. By 3:00 p.m., Two Bear Air Rescue spotted the missing skier signaling for help from a tree well.
The man had spent the night in the airy pocket around a tree, using pine boughs and starting a small fire to stay warm.
He was found in “good condition” and was hoisted into a helicopter, where he was flown to Blacktail Lodge for a medical check-up and cleared.
