By Bob Giolito
Volunteers search for missing skiers/riders via the Bucklin Trail in Mendon.
By Victoria Gaither and Polly Mikula
On Saturday, Jan. 20, multiple groups of skiers and snowboarders, including six juveniles (two of whom were 5 years old), ventured past Killington Ski Resort boundaries and ended up lost in the backcountry, in an area called Brewers Brook with the closest road, Wheelerville Road, about 2 1/2 miles away in Mendon.
In total 23 people were safely rescued.
Killington Resort confirmed that an employee was in the group and that person was immediately terminated.
“Several groups of skiers and riders went under a rope and out of Killington Ski Resort’s boundary in violation of Killington’s policy,” the resort stated. “911 was called to assist. Rescue Inc., Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR), Killington Fire/Rescue, Killington Resort Ski Patrol, and State PSAP/Dispatch responded quickly and expertly, located all individuals safely, and without incident or injury. We would like to thank our Ski Patrol, all of the volunteers, and first responders who responded on Saturday.”
“Safety of our staff and guests is our number one priority at Killington. As such, the Skier Responsibility Code is posted around the resort as well as on our website, and states that all skiers and riders must ‘Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas’,” the resort’s statement concluded.
Kristel Killary, brand marketing and communications manager at Killington Resort, added that the resort is “looking into pulling passes but have not made a decision on that at this time.”
9-1-1 dispatchers received the first call at about 2:30 p.m., which spurred multiple agencies into action.
Drew Clymer, search and rescue coordinator for the state’s department of public safety, helped to coordinate the response between agencies.
“Because of the makeup of the groups, conditions, etc. we had to send people in for the rescue quickly,” Clymer explained.
The temperatures were in the low single digits, before windchill — and dropping, Police Chief Whit Montgomery said.
Initially, dispatch communicated to the teams that there were seven to nine skiers and snowboarders lost, but more calls followed leading to a total of 23 people needing assistance out of the woods.
In the first rescue effort, which began at 2:30 p.m., two or three different groups met up with each other in the backcountry and collectively 19 were rescued, Montgomery explained.
Around 5:30 p.m. dispatch received another call from a second group of two, which required a smaller team of rescue members from KSAR and Rescue, Inc. to go back to the same region.
Courtesy Killington Police Dept.
A group of 21 rescued skiers and riders hike out of the backcountry via the Bucklin Trail.
“The team had the last group out of the woods at approximately 7:30 p.m.,” Montgomery reported.
Bob Giolito, director of KSAR, has extensive experience and certification in the backcountry, is the founder of Killington Mountain Guides and also spent 20 years in Vermont law enforcement. “Over the years, you just know the terrain that people end up in,” he said.
An operation this size not only takes people power but also coordination between many different agencies, Clymer explained.
On Saturday, KSAR deployed 12 members to the backcountry (it currently has 21 active members) and Rescue, inc. added another six to the mission, so in total there were about 18 rescuers actively searching and helping people navigate the 2 1/2 miles out to the Bucklin Trailhead.
Giolito and two other KSAR members headed out quickly with light gear to try and make contact with the lost skiers and riders as quickly as possible, while nine other KSAR members followed with more supplies and equipment. About half a dozen members of Rescue, Inc. were also deployed in the search. Chris Roy, Killington policeman, was stationed at the base of the Bucklin Trail on Wheelerville Road, Montgomery said.
In 2023, after many contentious months with a new fire chief’s leadership, dozens of KSAR members resigned. After some dust had settled, the Killington Select Board voted to move KSAR from the fire department to the police department. Some former KSAR volunteers have rejoined KSAR, but others now serve under Rescue, Inc. a regional organization based Brattleboro.
Rescuers Dave Coppock and Joel Blumenthal are two who now volunteer with Rescue Inc. On Saturday, they showed up with “a determination like no other,” according to Bob Giolito and Drew Clymer.
“Dave found the group of 18, so Dave hung back and was standing in the woods by himself, and he picked up another who was about to call 911,” said Clymer.
Joel Blumenthal was on it the whole time and never gave up, making sure the lost were found, Clymer added.
“Team members hiked, snowshoed, and skinned approximately 5 miles in frigid temperatures to bring the 21 lost people home,” Montgomery said in a statement. “Those [KSAR members] who deploy into the backcountry are fit and certified in WFA [Wilderness First Aid] at a minimum, with some team members being certified Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), National Ski Patrol, Outdoor Emergency Care (NSP/OEC), Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Vermont Emergency First Responder (VEFR) and CPR.”
“Ski Patrol is also a tremendous asset with such searches,” added Montgomery. “Many times they will be put in contact with those lost and determined where they entered the woods and where they are. This gives us a good starting point on where to search and saves time getting to those in need.”
Usually, dispatch, rescuers and or ski patrols are able to get lost skiers’/riders’ GPS coordinates from their cell phone and can often coach them over the phone to safety, but that night was different.
“Going out of boundaries in cold weather. You are putting everyone at risk — frostbite, hypothermia, and if someone breaks a leg or goes into shock faster, the body shuts down,” said Giolito.
Due to the coordinated efforts, all 21 were brought to safety with no significant injuries.
“This all comes together as a unified search, with many different groups and individuals coming together to work as one solid unit. Searches like this are very complex, with a lot of moving parts,” Montgomery said.
