Local law enforcement reminds us to be safe when having fun in the snow

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - Lots of snow has led to many people exploring the back country and snowy mountains all throughout our region. With a large amount of people taking to the snowmobiles to go through the hills, local law enforcement is reminding us to enjoy the mountains safely.

"We really encourage people to prepare for emergencies, prepare for avalanches, you know, have those plans in place. So if the unfortunate thing happens that they're able to self-rescue or get help," Bonneville County Sheriff's office spokesperson Sergeant Bryan Lovell said.

Lovell adds while the winter has given us a lot of snow, people have called on their help for a rescue.

"We get snowmobile rescues, people break down, they get lost and have problems with avalanche conditions off and on throughout the winter season. So there is a lot of winter left. We've had a few of those rescue type situations and fortunately nothing too serious. But as we move on through and toward spring, you know, those conditions in the backcountry and up in the hills can change very rapidly," Lovell said.

Lovell says some of the tips that you might already know but are still really important to make sure you can have fun and make it home.

"A lot of those areas where people are snowmobile and recreating are out of cell service. So there are satellite phones and GPS devices that work very well up there. Our backcountry guys use that kind of technology when they are checking areas or going up on on rescues. So we would encourage, if you're going to venture out into those areas, know the area, do some research, see what the conditions are before you go and make sure you're prepared with the appropriate gear."

He continued by saying the gear you bring is very important.

"Whether it's avalanche bags, you're dressing for the weather, extra water and food, you know, those kinds of things that can help you survive until someone can get there and rescue you."

Lovell says if you notice conditions are bad for you it can make it harder for your rescuers to reach you.

A lot of times people forget, that if they have a problem, the conditions are bad, the weather turns bad, it's dangerous for search and rescue people and first responders to get to you. Not always, can we just fly the helicopter up there and rescue people out. So people need to keep that in mind. If you're venturing into those areas where communication is difficult and the ability for someone to reach you and rescue you was difficult. The more you can do to plan for safety in emergency, the lower your risk of having a bad problem, the higher your risk of survival."

Lovell also encourages people to make sure someone knows when you should be coming home and where you will be. He says this may help them find you much quicker.

"Any time you go into the backcountry, whether you're in a group of people or a small group of people or by yourself, let people know where you start and where you're headed and when you plan on returning, because that gives us a spot to go and look for you, gives us a spot to start when when you don't show up at the time that you thought you were going to be, your loved ones or people at home that are expecting you, they can say, hey, we went this way, go start looking here."

Thankfully, many of the rescue missions the search and rescue team has been on have been relatively minor but could have gone a different way quickly.

"We've had a few rescues here and there. It's not uncommon to to get people that are lost hunting or snowmobiling or cross-country skiing or they get injured. That's not an uncommon thing. And we've been pretty fortunate that the incidents we have had have been fairly minor and, potentially life threatening, but no serious injuries."

The most important thing Sergeant Lovell says is make sure where you plan on going isn't going to be in a high avalanche danger area. He says checking before hand can be all the difference. He says there are many different resources available for avalanche safety and one of them can be found here.