Injured Snowmachiner Rescued from Nellie-Juan Lake

Published on February 7th, 2010

By LOG STAFF

Rescuers spent a chilly Friday night out near Nellie-Juan Lake after weather hampered efforts to fly an injured snowmachiner out from the remote location.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hoisted the snowmachiner, 49-year-old Don Feltman of Kenai, late Saturday morning and flew him to Providence Hospital in Anchorage for treatment of suspected back and arm injuries.

At about 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Alaska State Troopers dispatch received a call for help from the Houston, Texas-based SPOT geo-locator reporting an activation and provided coordinates in the Nellie-Juan Lake area, which is off of 13 Mile Seward Highway. The locator is registered to a Kasilof man known to be riding with a group of snowmachiners in that area.

Seward Police Department received a second call from another snowmachiner reporting he was among that group and Feltman was injured after riding off a cliff. Weather prevented Alaska State Troopers' Helo 1, Coast Guard and Alaska Air National Guard helicopters from responding.

Meanwhile, six snowmachiners including Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, a U.S. Forest Service personnel, a medic from the Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department and members of the original party braved heavy and blowing snow on snowmachines to reach the injured man. The group had to maneuver through tough terrain and several river crossings during the roughly 11-mile ride to reach Feltman.

Once there, they determined he could not be safely taken out that night. Medical care was given to stabilize Feltman and the group settled in to spend the night in the cold.

The next morning, additional AST snowmachines, Bear Creek Medics, Moose Pass Medics, Seward Volunteer Medics Corps, medics from the Central Emergency Services in Soldotna, Alaska Mountain Rescue and a tracked-vehicle Snowcat from Seward joined the efforts. Multiple units were staged at the trail head while additional units responded to the victim to provide support. While weather kept helicopters grounded north of Seward, the Coast Guard launched a helicopter from Kodiak. During a break in the weather at about 11 a.m., the Jayhawk flew into the area, hoisted Feltman up into the helicopter and transported him to Anchorage for treatment.

AST urges outdoor recreationalists to use caution in the back country following this extreme weather front. The fresh snow will be unstable and avalanche potential could be high, to ensure a safe journey and to file a Wilderness Trip Plan found on the Public Information Website at http://www.dps.state.ak.us/PIO/docs/WildernessTripPlan.pdf [http://].