Carbon County Undersheriff Shawn Kelley was enjoying a little vacation time Sunday afternoon, watching football at his family's cabin in Wyoming's Snowy Range, when his phone rang.
On the other end was Patrol Sgt. Chris Fisher. The sergeant asked if Kelley was still at his family cabin, on vacation.
Kelley said he was.
Fisher was responding to a call in the Snowy Range backcountry involving a middle-aged hunter who believed he was having a heart attack. The man was stranded in rugged mountain terrain near Ryan Brothers Lake, about five miles from Kelley's cabin.
Kelley, a nearly 20-year veteran of the Carbon County Sheriff's Office and lifelong Carbon County resident, knew the area well.
He also knew getting someone out of there wouldn't be easy.
"The road up there is really rugged. It can only be accessed by four-wheeler or side-by-side," Kelley told Cowboy State Daily from his cabin on Thursday, where he was still enjoying what remained of his vacation.
He didn't need much convincing to lend a hand.
"I'm just sitting here watching football. I can head up there," Kelley recalled telling Fisher.
With that, the football game was over, at least for Kelley.
Kelley turned off the game and jumped into his side-by-side. By the time he reached the site, EMS, fire and Intermountain Health personnel were already on the scene, he said.
A Rescue In Rugged Country
Kelley said he found the man and emergency crews on a steep hillside in thick deadfall – fallen trees and tangled timber that made moving through the terrain difficult.
The rescue helicopter had dropped off two medics before relocating to nearby Wyoming Highway 130, where it would rendezvous with the rescue team and patient.
Kelley climbed up to them and was one of six to bring the man safely down the hill to a waiting fire department side-by-side.
"We got him loaded up ... and took him out to Highway 130," Kelley said.
From there, the medical helicopter crew could take over.
The ride to the highway covered approximately four miles.
All told, Kelley estimated the rescue took two to three hours.
He never learned the hunter's name.
Intermountain Health did not immediately respond to Cowboy State Daily's questions about where the man was transported or his condition.
It also was not immediately clear whether the hunter suffered a heart attack or experienced another medical emergency.
No Ordinary Hunting Ground
The Snowy Range, part of the Medicine Bow Mountains in southeastern Wyoming, is popular hunting country, drawing hunters into remote areas for a chance at bagging an elk or deer.
Wyoming Highway 130, also known as the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, winds through the mountains between Saratoga and the Laramie area, climbing to elevations above 10,000 feet.
In this case, having an off-duty undersheriff with a side-by-side, firsthand knowledge of the area and a willingness to help made him a valuable addition to the rescue team.
Fall hunting seasons send people into remote country, often miles from the nearest paved road or medical facility. Rescuers can be called upon to navigate difficult terrain, locate missing hunters or transport injured and ill people to waiting ambulances or helicopters.
The Snowy Range presents its own challenges.
Ryan Brothers Lake sits at approximately 10,384 feet above sea level, according to topographic information based on U.S. Geological Survey maps. Nearby Medicine Bow Peak rises above 12,000.
At those elevations, even reaching someone in distress can be a considerable undertaking.
And as Sunday's rescue demonstrated, the people responding aren't always officially on the clock.
Always Ready To Help
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken said he wasn't the least bit surprised when he learned his undersheriff had interrupted his vacation to help a hunter in trouble. Bakken said he learned about the rescue from Kelley himself, when Kelley called to tell him about it.
"It didn't surprise me at all," Bakken told Cowboy State Daily. "He's the kind of guy that, if we have something going on, he's going to jump in and help."
Kelley has served as undersheriff for the past eight years, but his willingness to help doesn't end when he leaves the office, Bakken said.
Kelley confirmed that in his own way.
“I always tell everyone when I’m up here that I make sure dispatch is aware if we’re shorthanded I can always go cover a search,” he said.
Kelley frequents his family cabin during hunting season. He uses his vacation time to hunt, tackle chores around the cabin and get the place ready for another Wyoming winter.
He had bagged a deer and was still searching for an elk by Sunday when the call came.
“I still haven’t found an elk,” he said. “They’re good at hide and seek.”
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
