BUTTE — Authorities say a 66-year-old woman was safely rescued early Thursday morning after becoming lost while hiking near Butte.
Efforts to find the woman were impeded by darkness, cold, difficult terrain, and downed trees.
According to Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester, at approximately 8 pm on October 21st, Butte emergency dispatch received a call reporting a 66-year old female who was lost in the area between Roosevelt Drive and the Basin Creek Reservoir.
The woman had apparently been separated from her husband in the wooded area at around 4:30 pm and had not been seen since. The woman was reportedly with two dogs.
15-90 Search and Rescue responded to the area and conducted a search using ATVs and then on foot. Their efforts to locate the woman were impeded by darkness, cold, difficult terrain, and downed trees.
After initially being unable to locate the woman, 15-90 continued and expanded their search. At one point, rescuers used the last coordinates from the woman’s cell phone, only to discover the phone had been left behind.
As rescuers were working their way down a drainage and calling out for the missing woman, they heard her dogs barking. They were then able to locate her and get her to safety. The woman and her two dogs were located at approximately 3:30 am.
“Without 15-90 and their efforts, this woman would not have survived,” Lester said.
“15-90 is a group of volunteers who drop everything and deliver life-saving search and rescue service every time we call on them. There aren’t a lot of people who would put themselves in harm's way to rescue a stranger in the middle of the night, this is a special group.”
Life Flight was contacted by Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement and was preparing to fly the area at first light. "Fortunately, their services were not needed. We are thankful for their offer of assistance as well," said Lester.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
