Hunters found in Shoshone County

Two lost hunters were rescued early Monday morning by the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office and a helicopter from Flathead County.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Nov. 24, Shoshone County Dispatch was notified of two overdue hunters in the Magee Ranger Station Area northwest of Prichard, Idaho. The reporting party said they had lost radio contact with their two friends at noon in an area named Cataract Creek.

Two Bear Air of Flathead County assisted with the search. Just after 5 a.m., the helicopter team located a campfire in the area and found the overdue hunters.

John Bartenhagen, 66, of Sagle and Donald Crossairt, 44, of Moscow, were both in great shape. They said they had been hiking down a trail and got to the creek, but could no longer find the trail. With nightfall upon them and the terrain turning to large cliffs and bluffs, they decided to stay put, build a fire and wait for the night instead of taking chances. The two had proper survival gear on hand.

"Bartenhagen and Crossairt did everything right and would have ended up walking out in the morning," Sheriff Mitch Alexander said in a press release. "Two Bear Air has been assisting Sheriffs all over Idaho and Montana on search and rescue missions and this is the second time this year that they have helped out with a search in Shoshone County."