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Editor's note: In an earlier version of this article, Cory Hahan's name was spelled incorrectly and his age was reported incorrectly. Per new official information, those facts have been corrected. STRAWBERRY VALLEY, Wasatch County — Two snowmobilers who were reported missing Saturday evening after failing to reach their destination as expected were found Sunday morning, the Wasatch County Sherrif's Office reported.
Tron Black, 47, and Cory Hahan, 52, both from Sandy, were in the Timberlakes and Strawberry Valley area when their absence was reported at roughly 8:40 p.m. Saturday to the Wasatch County Dispatch Center. At this point, Wasatch County Search and Rescue began to search trails in the area until 3 a.m., but were forced to temporarily suspend the search until 7 a.m. so the teams could refuel and coordinate plans.
Summit County SAR and Utah State Parks assisted with the search as it resumed Sunday morning, deploying to Nobletts, Lake Creek, Strawberry River, and Co-op Creek trailheads. The subjects were located at about 10:45 a.m., reportedly cold but in good health. SAR members brought them off the mountain and to Wasatch County EMS, and the men are now with their families.
Black said it was an amazing sight for him when he saw the rescuers. Both men suffered frostbite on their feet, and Hahan was treated at the University of Utah burn center and released from the hospital late Sunday.
"And I'm like, ‘I want to be at my daughters wedding. I want to be, you know, I want to be there for my kids'", Black said. "All those kinds of things, and so I want to have the will to live, and not just like, ‘Well I'm really cold, I'm going to sleep, I'm done.'"
Wasatch County chief deputy Jared Rigby praised the men for their quick action upon realizing their situation, saying they had cell phones with them and promptly alerted family members, who were able to notifly authorities.
He also cautioned that those embarking on future such trips should take care to prepare for these potential scenarios.
"Having enough cold weather gear to make it through the night in case snowmobiles go down — that's a lesson learned for them, I'm sure," he said. "Also having food and water that can get you through an extended period of time in case some kind of inclement weather comes in or some other kind of mishap."
Contributing: Dan Jessop
