Snowmobilers found in Franklin Basin

LOGAN — Search teams from three counties found two missing snowmobilers Saturday afternoon, after the two went missing Friday.

Franklin County Sheriff David Fryar said searchers found 47-year-old Jeff Jenkins and his 14-year-old son in the Franklin Basin area around 11:30 a.m. The two had been snowmobiling Friday when they encountered blizzard-like conditions. They decided to seek shelter and wait out the storm.

Jenkins family contacted Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies Friday night when the two failed to return home. Search and Rescue began looking for the two, with the help of teams from Cache County and Bear Lake.

Fryar said Jenkins and his son were found in good condition. They told search teams, they had been able to make a fire overnight but still struggled to stay warm in the cold temperatures. Neither of them required medical care and were released to their family.

“I would like to give sincere thanks for the outstanding effort that our Search and Rescue unit put into this search,” said Fryar. “I am very proud of them and my association with them. I am also very grateful for the cooperative efforts of our neighboring counties.”

In the end of December, Franklin and Rich County crews helped Cache County Search and Rescue teams looking for another missing snowmobiler, 48-year-old Lawrence “Larry” Orduno. He and 27-year-old Courtney Wood were also riding in the Franklin Basin area when the two became separated. He was located two days later in good condition.

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