Snowmobiler crashes near Yellowstone National Park. Onlookers rush to help

A snowmobiler crashed and broke their leg near Yellowstone National Park, officials said.

The snowmobiler was riding near West Yellowstone, Montana, a popular gate town to the national park, on Sunday, Feb. 13 when they broke their leg, the Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue said.

Before emergency crews could arrive, onlookers rushed to help the snowmobiler. They kept the rider warm and safe until responders got to the location, the search and rescue team said.

“As (rescuers) responded to the scene via snowmobile, an Air Methods helicopter was also dispatched due to the severity of the reported injury,” rescuers said on Facebook. “Volunteers made contact with the patient just as the Air Methods helicopter arrived on scene.”

The snowmobiler was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. Rescuers did not identify the snowmobiler or disclose their current condition.

“Sheriff Dan Springer would like to commend the Good Samaritans who assisted in keeping the injured snowmobiler safe and warm while awaiting emergency responders,” rescuers said.

The rescue comes a week after a snowmobiler died after getting caught in an avalanche near the same location, McClatchy News reported.

Bradie Becker, a 30-year-old from Iowa, was riding outside the national park Sunday, Feb. 6, when an avalanche carried him away. He was carried into trees and died of asphyxiation, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said.

At least nine people in the U.S. including four snowmobilers have died in avalanches this season as of Feb. 16, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 8:38 AM with the headline "Snowmobiler crashes near Yellowstone National Park. Onlookers rush to help."