The Killington Police Department and the town's all-volunteer search and rescue team hiked, snowshoed and skinned about five miles in frigid temperatures Saturday to rescue 21 skiers and snowboarders lost in the backcountry.
They also received help from Killington Fire and Rescue, Killington resort ski patrol, Rescue Inc. in Brattleboro and Vermont State Police, according to a Killington police press release.
Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery says it's unusual to have to rescue that many skiers and boarders in one day. He says just as crews were about to leave the scene, a call came in that two more people needed help, and they were the last ones rescued around 7:30 p.m.
Montgomery says there are simple precautions folks should take on the mountain to stay safe: "Stay on trail, don't ski off trail. Never ski alone, and if something were to happen, make sure you call 911 sooner as opposed to later, the sooner the phone call is made, the sooner we can get people, you know, organized and deployed where needed."
Montgomery says none of the rescued people were injured. There were six juveniles among the 21 people.
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