In a desperate situation, Tristann Schaefer of Columbus, Nebraska, turned to Facebook on Monday in an attempt to get help for her mother, who was stranded on a remote western Wyoming highway.
In an act of uncommon kindness, Evanston resident Amy McMahon answered the post, drove nearly 70 miles to Cokeville and rescued Kim Schaefer.
"If I were in a similar situation, I'd hope someone would do the same for me," McMahon said. "Good karma comes back to you."
When the transmission crapped out on her Harley-Davidson Road King about 8 miles outside of Cokeville on Sunday, Kim, 62, said she hitched a ride back to Cokeville and spent the night in her tent at the Flying J Truck Stop.
Tristann was preparing to make the drive from Columbus to Cokeville to help her mother, but knowing that would take more than 12 hours she posted a plea on the Evanston, Wyoming Community Page on Facebook.
"I got worried and started searching Facebook pages," Tristann said. "It only took about 20 minutes before someone offered to go out and pick her up. I didn't want her to have to spend another night in her tent."
About a dozen people replied to the post offering different bits of information on how to help.
Miles Of Bonding
McMahon volunteered to drive out and picked Kim up, which she did Monday morning. But upon getting back to Evanston they found out that no trucks were available to haul the motorcycle. They later found a truck in Park City, Utah, and McMahon gave Schaefer a second ride to pick up the truck.
During the drive, the two learned they have a lot in common.
"She's such a nice lady and she's very brave to be riding out here on her own," McMahon said. "We both have kids in the military and come from military families."
Kim, who has traveled around the country on a Harley for several years, was on her way to Hamilton, Montana, to spend some time camping. She started the trip with a group of friends but split with them in Colorado and headed north.
The Road King is the second Harley she has owned. After she gets a U-Haul in Utah, she will take it to Soda Springs, Idaho, where the broken-down Harley was taken on a tow truck, and then head back to Nebraska for repairs.
"I feel lucky,” Kim told Cowboy State Daily. “Thank God for her (McMahon).”
Tristann posted the following on the Evanston, Wyoming Community Page: "Wow, what an amazing community. Thank you so much for helping get our loved on back home. We got it figured out I do believe. God is good. This is exactly what Facebook is for!"
