Men stranded overnight after off-roading in deep snow rescued by Placer Sheriff helicopter
SACRAMENTO -- Three men off-roading in their trucks got stranded overnight, deep in the snow earlier this month in remote Placer County near Foresthill.
It happened on the night of Jan. 6 when Chris Rose, his stepson and friend Brian Carlon adventured past the China Wall as snow was moving in.
"By 1 p.m. or so, that's about when we got stuck. We tried to dig out for the next nine hours," Rose told CBS13. "It was a point of no return. The longer we were there trying to dig out, the more snow was building up."
Their families started to worry when they didn't make it home. Rose says his wife contacted deputies, which resulted in dispatch texting his cell phone and pinpointing his exact location.
"It would have taken at least three hours to get to the location by snowcat," said Lt. Ty Conners of the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
Conners says they made the determination to wait until morning when the storm had passed and they would send the Falcon 30 helicopter crew to rescue the men.
"It was a long night of no sleep," said Rose as the three men hunkered down in one of the stranded trucks. "Long before our existing water supplies ran out, I started melting snow to stay ahead of that which helped a lot."
By morning, the Falcon 30 three-person crew was circling above where the three men were stranded. They hoisted them up through the trees and into the helicopter just minutes later.
"The most stressful part is about the first ten feet. High wind, super cold temperatures, lots of ice, getting blasted with ice on your face," said Rose.
All three men were rescued without further issue or any injuries.
This is the first rescue of the year for Falcon 30. The Placer County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol and Sacramento Metro Fire are the only local agencies that have helicopters with rescue capabilities.
"We're going out to get people home," said Conners.
The helicopter is an invaluable resource for rescues this time of year.
"It's definitely a different beast when it comes to snow and ice rescues," said Conners.
Conners and Rose say it serves as a reminder to always watch the weather closely and be prepared if adventure takes you to deep snow.
"Hindsight is 20/20. We are able to see the specific cues we should have paid a little more attention to. In terms of equipment choice, the only equipment that matters is the equipment you don't have," said Rose.
He purchased a winch and other supplies to be better prepared for his next 4x4 adventure.
"Make sure you have the tools and know how to use them," said Conners.
Conners said anyone off-roading or hiking in winter conditions should always be prepared for the possibility of getting trapped. That includes packing a bag with extra dry clothing, external cell phone battery chargers, food and water.
"And make sure your family knows your plan and locations you are planning on going to," said Conners.
Rose also wanted to thank the NorCal 4x4 Facebook community, a group of volunteers that rescues people and vehicles stranded off-road for free. They sent a train of Jeeps back out into that deep snow the next day to rescue the stranded trucks before they were buried in the snow.
Just a few days before, a group of hikers in Nevada County also got stranded in deep snow in the Tahoe National Forest, prompting a rescue.