Fire Helps Stranded Snowmobilers Survive 9-Hour Storm Rescue

Fire helped stranded snowmobilers survive during a snowstorm.
Jules Morgan

Five snowmobilers are safe after an overnight rescue in a snowstorm near a remote lake in Montana.

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office says one of the riders fell through the ice and others got wet trying to pull the snowmobile out of the lake.

The riders, who were all from out of state, built a fire to stave off the freezing cold while they waited for help early Monday.

It took nine hours for rescuers to cut a path through several feet of fresh snow to reach them. Sheriff's officials say nobody needed medical attention and the fire likely helped them to survive.

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