Snowmobiler spends three days, nights in Wyoming blizzard before rescue

Snowmobilers T.J. Larsen and Jordan Zink found David Madsen stranded in the Bighorn Mountains on Feb. 23.

Courtesy photo

A Minnesota snowmobiler was rescued from the Bighorn Mountains late last month after being stranded for three nights in sub-zero weather.

David Madsen, 65, of Hawick, Minnesota, survived the unplanned outing by digging a snow cave under his snowmobile.

Madsen wasn’t reported missing because he had left his room at the Bear Lodge Resort at Burgess Junction atop the mountains for a solo day trip. It wasn’t until his motel bill went unpaid three days later that staff reported him missing. By then, Madsen had finally been located by snowmobilers T.J. Larsen, of Gillette, and Jordan Zink, of Sheridan, who just happened to find the stranded sledder.

“We really want people to have fun, but people don’t realize how extreme the conditions are up there this year,” said Ken Blackburn, Bighorn County Sheriff.

As of this week, the snowpack at Burgess Junction was 42 inches deep.

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