Two snowmobilers lost their lives in separate accidents in western Wyoming’s backcountry in late January, highlighting the dangers of winter recreation in the region’s rugged terrain.
On Monday (January 26), Joshua Dillon Escamilla, 31, died after he and a female passenger crashed their snowmobile into a tree in the Togwotee Pass area. The pair, riding tandem as part of a small guided group, went off-trail before the collision, according to Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR).
The rescue operation involved multiple agencies, with Teton County Sheriff deputies reaching the site via snowmobile from Togwotee Mountain Lodge. Due to the difficult terrain, TCSAR deployed both ground teams and a helicopter to evacuate the victims.
Escamilla initially survived the impact but later went into cardiac arrest at the scene. His female companion, who was reported to be unresponsive but breathing, was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls for treatment of her injuries.
Just three days earlier, on Friday (January 23), 32-year-old Edith Linares Pike of Stamford, Connecticut died from head and neck trauma after her snowmobile struck a tree along Granite Creek Road in Bridger-Teton National Forest. Pike was part of a guided snowmobile tour when the accident occurred, as reported by multiple news outlets.
That same day, TCSAR also responded to another snowmobile crash in the same area, where a 39-year-old man suffered a severe leg injury after rolling about 30 feet down an embankment. Rescue teams had to coordinate their efforts between both incidents, using a helicopter to transport the injured parties.
“This has been a challenging winter so far for our mountain community,” TCSAR wrote in a Facebook statement. “TCSAR has responded to four fatalities, with two coming in the last three days.”
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