A festive family outing to retrieve a Christmas tree almost turned into a holiday mishap for a young couple when they became stranded in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest earlier this month.
U.S. Forest Service K9 officer Darren Schiedel was working near Woodland when he heard the 911 call that a family with a baby was stuck near the Log Hollow Trail by S.R. 35. He was about 10 minutes away from the forest boundary and offered to assist Summit and Wasatch county law enforcement with the rescue.
Schiedel, who has decades of experience as a law enforcement officer and is responsible for a 500,000 acre portion of the district, knew the narrow Forest Service road was difficult to navigate, especially in the winter.
The couple and their 3-month-old baby, as well as the mother’s brother and a 16-year-old boy, had traveled up the short, narrow roadway looking to cut down a live tree, according to Schiedel. However, the vehicle went slightly off the road and became trapped in several inches of snow. Schiedel found it about a mile up the road, where it was stuck at a 45-degree angle.
The family initially hoped to return to their vehicle, but Schiedel realized it could not be freed without a tow. He offered to transport the couple and the newborn down the mountain. However, there wasn’t enough room for the brother and teenager.
Schiedel feared the group was at risk of hypothermia and didn’t want them to hike down. Officials estimated temperatures were around 18 degrees. He asked deputies with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office to help retrieve the other men.
The family was in good spirits despite a nearly disastrous yuletide. Schiedel praised the clear, level-headed thinking of the mother, who was able to call for help with limited service using an Apple watch, and the father, who was concerned with keeping his family safe.
The newborn and mother were able to warm up in Schiedel’s truck while they waited for law enforcement officers to arrive. When the baby started to cry, he was able to make a red dome light entertaining. His K9 Diesel was a great partner, too. The 78-pound, 8-year-old Belgian Malinois would stick his head out from a crate, which would make the baby smile.
The group was transported to Kamas, where they waited for a ride home, around 30 minutes after the call came in. The family was grateful to law enforcement for their help. However, Schiedel said anyone who saw the family on the highway would’ve done the same thing.
He reminded people heading into the mountains to tell a friend or family member the specific location of where they are going and to ensure their vehicle is properly equipped with snow tires and chains.