Missing 14-year-old in ‘good spirits’ after being rescued near Utah-Idaho border

The Franklin Basin area near the Utah-Idaho border is pictured on Nov. 27, 2024. A 14-year-old boy was found safe Sunday morning after he was reported missing on Saturday. | Courtesy KSL TV FRANKLIN (KSL.com) — A 14-year-old boy was found safe Sunday morning following a frantic search along the Utah-Idaho border that started after he was reported missing on Saturday. Franklin County, Idaho, Sheriff Cuyler Stoker confirmed that the boy was located. He was transported to a hospital in Logan as a precaution, but Stoker said the teen didn’t appear to have any signs of frostbite or any other serious injuries during an initial examination, despite spending the night in sub-zero temperatures. “Other than being cold, he’s in really good health and really good spirits,” he said. “He walked himself to our (all-terrain vehicle) and then when he arrived back to the command location, he got himself off and walked over, climbed into the ambulance where they were able to check on him.” The search began Saturday afternoon when the boy was reported missing. He had been riding a yellow snowmobile with a group near Franklin Basin Road about 2½ miles southwest of Gibson Basin in Franklin County, Idaho, according to the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, which assisted in the search. Cache County officials initially said the boy was 12, but Stoker confirmed that he is 14. He said the teen was snowmobiling for the first time and got separated at some point during the outing, becoming unsure if he could go any further on the sled. The family had searched for him for some time, but called for help when a storm passed through the region and “made conditions more difficult.” That set off a massive search involving both Franklin County and Cache County search and rescue teams, as the two counties border each other. Cache County Sheriff’s Lt. Roy Hall said Sunday that attempts to ping the boy’s cellphone weren’t successful. Both teams searched “relentlessly” in the area by snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles and drones, as well. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter has also scanned the area, while a Weber County sheriff’s search and rescue team joined the operations early Sunday to help relieve Cache County’s teams that had worked into the early morning in their search efforts. Volunteers also joined the effort, which did not stop at any point until the boy was found. Stoker said the teen was eventually located in a forest area southwest of where he was last seen on Saturday, having spent the night in below-zero temperatures. Temperatures dropped to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit in the area, according to Hall. Authorities say they’re “extremely thrilled” by the outcome. They also say it serves as a reminder about having a plan ahead of time in case something goes wrong while adventuring in the outdoors. Avalanche beacons and other safety gear are also encouraged for winter sports. “We always want everybody to get out and recreate, and enjoy the outdoors,” Stoker said. “You want to do those things with your family. They’re wonderful activities — just have a plan.”The post Missing 14-year-old in ‘good spirits’ after being rescued near Utah-Idaho border appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com