2 snowmobilers rescued near Ebbetts Pass
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
Two El Dorado County men spent a night stranded outdoors in the Ebbetts Pass area of Alpine County after their snowmobiles became stuck in the snow late Saturday afternoon.
Joshua Seidel and Zachary Bradgon, both 24 and residents of Diamond Springs, were rescued by searchers on the ground after they were located Sunday morning by a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew. Both men were in good physical condition after spending the night in a tree well created by the snow, according to a CHP news release.
Bradgon, Seidel and another friend had gone to the Ebbetts Pass area about 1:30pm Saturday to ride their snowmobiles, CHP officials said. Being unfamiliar with the area, they rode around the main area, near the parking lot, until about 4pm, then decided to explore down the canyon. Bradgon and Seidel left the friend behind and told him they would return soon.