BILLINGS – A pair of tourists had to be rescued Tuesday after they drove around the road closure signs and got stuck in deep snow on the Beartooth Pass while attempting to reach the northeast gate of Yellowstone National Park.
John Ray Elmore Jr., 60 of Los Angeles, and his 85-year-old father, John M. Elmore Sr. of Indiana, were following directions from their GPS device up the pass, according to a post on the Park County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The men passed at least two road closure signs prior to becoming stuck. One of the two men attempted to call for help but his phone disconnected before he could provide detailed information about their location.
Wyoming’s Park County Search and Rescue deployed two ground teams equipped with snowmobiles to search for the men. After locating the men on the pass, an area resident helped by towing the men back onto the pavement with a 4-wheel drive pickup equipped with tire chains.
The two men were not injured. Once they were free, they decided to take a different route to reach Yellowstone National Park. In the Facebook post, Sheriff Scott Steward reminded people to pay attention to road closures and to not take risks with snow-covered roads.
“Those signs are there for a reason and should not be ignored even if your electronic navigation device indicates otherwise,” said the sheriff in the post.
It’s unclear if the two men were cited for the incident.
