Two snowmobilers in Wyoming killed in separate accidents
Two snowmobilers died in separate accidents in western Wyoming in late January, officials said.
Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) responded to a fatal incident on Jan. 26 when a man and a woman riding tandem in a small guided group went off trail and collided with a tree in the Togwotee Pass area.
The man later went into cardiac arrest and died from his injuries.
The woman, who was reported to be unresponsive but breathing, was rescued by helicopter and transported to a hospital in Idaho.
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"All of us at TCSAR offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends affected by this tragedy," the group wrote on Facebook. "This has been a challenging winter so far for our mountain community. TCSAR has responded to four fatalities, with two coming in the last three days."
"We know that accidents happen and that we all make mistakes. This message is not intended to shame or judge anyone. Just please remember that when you take on a backcountry objective—no matter how big or small—the most important thing is to make sure you come home at the end of the day," they added. "Be safe out there, everyone."
Three days earlier, on Jan. 23, TCSAR responded to two additional snowmobile crashes along Granite Creek Road, one of which later proved fatal.
In one incident, a 39-year-old man suffered a severe leg injury after crashing and rolling about 30 feet down an embankment.
TCSAR then received another call in a second incident from a guided snowmobile party after a 32-year-old woman lost consciousness and sustained life-threatening injuries when she struck a tree.
The Jackson Hole News & Guide identified the man in the Jan. 26 incident as Joshua Dillon Escamilla, 31, and the woman in the Jan. 23 incident as Edith Linares Pike.
Pike was killed by head and neck trauma and was from Stamford, Connecticut, Teton County Coroner Brent Blue told the outlet.
The coroner’s office has not yet determined Escamilla’s cause of death or his hometown, though his family has been contacted in Florida.