Mother & Son Rescued After Canoe Accident on Gallatin River

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue, along with the Gallatin River Ranch Fire Department, were involved in rescuing a 26-year-old man and his 63-year-old mother after a canoe accident in the Gallatin River.

The two had overturned their canoe on Sunday (December 27) around 1 p.m. just east of Nixon Gulch Bridge. According to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, they put in at Dry Creek and planned on pulling out at Nixon Gulch Bridge, but overturned the canoe twice during their outing.

They reported that their first overturn happened about halfway to their destination at Nixon Gulch Bridge. Despite losing some gear, the two managed to turn the canoe upright on their own and continue their trip.

They made it about a mile and a half before overturning again. This time they lost their canoe in the water and were unable to walk out due to terrain and cold exposure. The male reported that his mother was experiencing minor back pain from the accident.

Search and Rescue responders located the two and used a Zodiac boat launched from Nixon Gulch Bridge to aid them. They were transported to the Nixon Gulch Bridge, where AMR Paramedics provided medical evaluation.

On Saturday, Search and Rescue responders were also busy rescuing two men who had gotten stuck in the backcountry about 16 miles northwest of West Yellowstone. They had been separated from a group of seven other snowmobilers and did not have gear to survive the night. They were also without a way to make a fire and did not have cell service. Luckily, they did have walkie-talkies and were able to communicate with some of the other riders.

SAR volunteers located the lost snowmobilers down a steep embankment. They finally made it back to the trailhead some five hours after their ordeal began.

LOOK: TV Locations in Every State

Categories: Bozeman News, Montana News, Newsletter