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HEBER CITY — Two snowmobilers missing in the mountains of Wasatch County since Sunday were found alive early Tuesday night.
A Life Flight helicopter pilot flying low spotted the two men waving outside a makeshift shelter, said Jess Gomez, a spokesman for Intermountain Healthcare. Life Flight picked them up in good condition, said Wasatch County Sheriff Todd Bonner.
"They are alive and they have been found, which is wonderful news," Gomez said. "They're very fortunate to be spotted."
I was actually almost positive that we weren't going to be pulling them off the mountain tonight, but wishes and prayers came true tonight.
–Heath Besnar
It was an emotional reunion for Brock Besner, 27, when he stepped off the Life Flight helicopter and into the arms of his wife.
"Oh my God, our prayers have been answered!" said Jaynee Besner, Brock Besner's mother.
After receiving a hug from her son, Jaynee Besner jokingly told him there were many at the command center who may now want to "kick his butt" for all they had been through to find him and Craig Dallessandro, 24.
Besner assured his family that he was fine, then was put into an ambulance to be checked over at the hospital.
Shortly thereafter, the Life Flight helicopter brought Dallessandro back to the command center at the trailhead.
"Just glad to be back, very glad," Dallessandro said.
Bonner said the men were far from where search and rescue had focused their search. The Life Flight pilot believed he had found them when he spotted two snowmobiles matching the description of Besner and Dallessandro's machines. It turns out they ran out of gas and built a small shelter and a fire.
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Life Flight pilot describes rescue of snowmobilers
A former KSL Chopper Five pilot was at the controls on the Life Flight helicopter that rescued two men in Wasatch County Tuesday. He spoke with Sam Penrod about the rescue.The mood at the trailhead Tuesday night was a complete reversal of the mood earlier in the day, when everyone feared the worst.
"I was actually almost positive that we weren't going to be pulling them off the mountain tonight, but wishes and prayers came true tonight," said Heath Besner, Brock Besner's brother.
After crews had temporarily suspended the search overnight for Besner and Dallessandro due to bad weather conditions, hope had been renewed Tuesday when the clouds parted and the sun came up.
Searchers and family members returned to the Lake Creek Trailhead Tuesday morning, where their truck was found Sunday. Family, friends and rescuers remained hopeful throughout Tuesday afternoon, despite not having heard from the men in nearly three days.
"We're not ready to call this a recovery by any means. It's still a search and rescue. The high probability of them being alive is still high," Wasatch County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Winterton said Tuesday afternoon.
Besner and Dallessandro went snowmobiling in the Lake Creek area east of Heber. It's an area where the two have reportedly been many times.
Searchers were concentrating on areas with slopes Tuesday and basins at the bottoms of slopes. Search and rescue crews from Wasatch and Summit counties assisted in Tuesday's effort as well as a helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety.
An estimated 1,000 miles had been searched.
The two were reportedly dressed for cold weather, but not an overnight stay.
Besner is married with a young son. Dallesandro is from New Jersey. His mother flew to Utah on Monday after her son was reported missing.
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Story written with contributions from Alex Cabrero, Pat Reavy and Marc Giauque.
