On Monday March 29, 2021 at approximately 12:30 am, Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue in West Yellowstone responded to a request for assistance from a kite skier on the frozen Hebgen Lake. The individual had taken a hard fall while kite skiing and suffered a significant hip and back injury.

Volunteers responded on foot, and on snowmobiles with a rescue toboggan, successfully packaging and transporting the injured skier off the lake to an awaiting ambulance. The patient was transported by the Hebgen Basin Fire Department EMS crew to a medical helicopter provided by Air Methods, who then transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls for level one trauma care.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office