Twenty-three skiers and snowboarders had to be rescued in frigid temperatures on Saturday after becoming lost in the backcountry in Killington, Vermont, police said.
A call initially came in around 2:30 p.m. for seven to nine people lost but an investigation determined there were a total of 21 people who needed help, including six kids, Killington police posted on Facebook.
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Killington Search and Rescue was activated and responded with 12 members.
Search and rescue crews hiked, snowshoed and used skis with skins to travel about five miles to bring the group of lost skiers and riders back to safety.
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Once out of the woods, the skiers and snowboarders warmed up in rescuers' vehicles while waiting for their rides. Temperatures were in the single digits on Saturday.
As the team was ready to clear, another call came for two more lost skiers. Six rescuers went back into the woods, found them and walked them out to safety at around 7:30 p.m., police said.
Rescuers included members of Killington Search and Rescue and the Killington Resort Ski Patrol.
“A special thanks should be given to all the volunteers who responded and worked this call,” the police department wrote of how important their partners were in the response to this "complex" call.
Killington Search and Rescue also reminded everyone to stay in bounds on Saturday, noting that with the brutal temperatures, getting lost or injured in the backcountry could become tragic.
