BILLINGS — The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office rescued a man suffering from hypothermia from his vehicle at Riverfront Park on Saturday.
According to Sheriff Mike Linder, the man drove into an area of the park that he couldn't get out of and slept in his car Friday night.
Watch this video to see the rescue:
"Somebody drove into an area that was tough to access," Linder said Monday afternoon. "Our concern was just getting him some medical attention and making sure he was okay."
At this time, details about the man are limited, and Linder said his office isn't sure what he was doing at the park.
"I think he drove in not knowing where he was going and got stuck," Linder said. "That was the reason for spending the night."
Linder said that his team's quick response was important in helping save the man, who was struggling to move due to the hypothermia.
"The responders just packaged him up in a litter and hauled him out," Linder said.
That man wasn't the only one trapped over the weekend, with many cars and trucks sliding off the roadways around southeastern Montana. Billings tow truck driver Christian Kinnison said he and his team were slammed with work starting early Friday morning.
“Nobody had traction, nobody had grip, people were in ditches, people were on the sides of the road,” Kinnison said. "It was one truck after another. We stayed within a 20-mile stretch. We were pulling out big trucks, little cars, you name it."
Kinnison advised that drivers should prepare for the worst-case scenario this time of year, making sure that they could survive a few hours in their vehicle in case of emergency.
“Always have blankets with you, always have plenty of snacks, a couple of waters, drinks of your choice," Kinnison said. "It never hurts to always have a picnic ready to go. That's basically is the best way to say it."
Kinnison said that their trucks at JH Motors are always stocked with those important items.
