Rio Blanco authorities respond to fatal backcounty GPS distress call
At approximately 3:50 p.m. Sunday, the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office received an inReach SOS activation from a Garmin GPS about an injured snowmobiler.
According to the sheriff’s office, the SOS activation came from the Sand Peak area about 45 miles northeast of Meeker and accessible only by snowmobile. The alert conveyed that a 38-year-old man on a snowmobile was hurt and not responding.
Meeker Fire Rescue, Rio Blanco County Search and Rescue, Classic Air Medical and the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the call. Despite life-saving measures, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said the incident is under investigation, and the name of the deceased has not yet been released pending the notification of next of kin.
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