Albany County Deputies Rescue Overdue Snowmobiler Near Widow Maker Peak

An overdue snowmobiler who left the Green Rock Picnic Area earlier that day was found near Widow Maker Peak and transported to Ivinson Memorial Hospital after Albany County deputies began responding to a report at approximately 6:15 p.m. Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

A concerned witness discovered a snowmobile stuck near Widow Maker Peak with no rider present and footprints leading away from the machine, prompting the witness to alert authorities when they realized the rider was overdue, according to the ACSO release. Deputies on scene investigated available information, including the missing rider’s cellphone, and a ping of the phone showed a location in neighboring Carbon County, which expanded the scope of the search.

Albany County Search and Rescue volunteers were activated alongside ACSO deputies, and Intermountain Flight and Rescue/Intermountain Flight & Ambulance resources were called in to assist, with Laramie/Albany County Records and Communications and on-scene medical crews supporting the effort. Search teams located the snowmobiler “not far from where the snowmobile had been found,” and medical personnel transported the person to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie for treatment.

The sheriff’s office release states the individual had been riding alone from the Green Rock Picnic Area earlier in the day and that the person’s identity is not being released. ACSO’s statement says the rescued snowmobiler received medical care; the release and some reporting describe treatment for exhaustion and dehydration, while other accounts list hypothermia and exhaustion. The sheriff’s office has not provided additional medical updates or demographic details about the rider.

ACSO thanked the witness and the multiple agencies that coordinated the response and urged backcountry precautions in a written statement: “We are grateful to the witness who spoke up and to the deputies, search and rescue volunteers, medical crews, and Laramie/Albany County Records and Communications who worked together to bring this person home safely. This incident is a reminder of how quickly conditions can change in the back country. Please avoid riding alone, let someone know your plans, and carry emergency equipment such as fire-starting tools, satellite-based SOS or emergency locator devices, and/or get a FRS/GMRS capable radio and program it to the 307 channel as these preparations can save lives.”

Monday’s rescue highlights the coordination between volunteer Albany County SAR teams, ACSO deputies, Intermountain flight/ambulance resources, and Laramie communications staff in remote Medicine Bow/Widow Maker terrain; ACSO emphasized those preparedness steps as officials continue to monitor conditions on local ridgelines and plateaus.