Stranded men make it off Mt. Brown

Three Kalispell men stranded overnight

on Mt. Brown in Glacier National Park on Dec. 26 successfully made

it off the mountain by the next morning and all are in excellent

condition.

Park officials report that Dan House,

18, James McCarthy, 18, and Justin Newton, 20, had attempted to

reach the Mt. Brown fire lookout on snowshoes with the goal of

skiing back down.

The group started out up around 11 a.m.

but ran out of daylight before getting off the mountain. One

contacted a family member by cell phone around 6:30 p.m. to say

they were stranded. The family member notified the Flathead County

Dispatch Center, but the group was not able to provide an accurate

location.

Park rangers and Flathead County Search

and Rescue personnel initiated a search around 9 p.m. Searchers

spent the entire night covering high-probability areas, scanning

for signs of fire and using whistles, but visibility was very

limited due to wind and snow.

In early morning, a ranger sent a text

message by cell phone asking them to call 911. When the group

called 911 around 8 a.m., Flathead County dispatchers were able to

get a latitude and longitude reading that pinpointed where the

group was located.

The men said they were able to make a

fire and shelter in place, and all three were doing well. Members

of the Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol and a Park employee made contact

with the men at 10:30 a.m. Everyone was off the mountain around 11

a.m.