Two rescued by Fairchild helicopters

A Hayden man and his teenage son were rescued Thursday morning by two helicopters from Fairchild Air Force Base, after they had been stranded overnight in the mountains north of Sandpoint when their snowmobiles became disabled.

Sean Hammond, 35, and his son, 15, set out riding west of Naples, near Roman Nose Mountain, early Wednesday and became stuck in deep snow after they rode off of the main trails.

Hammond managed to call for help on his cell phone, but teams from Boundary County Search and Rescue struggled to reach the two Wednesday night and called off the ground search when their snowmobiles became stuck in the snow.

Anticipating subzero overnight temperatures, helicopters from Fairchild tried twice to rescue the pair Wednesday night, but stormy weather forced them to cancel the missions.

Other than snowsuits and a shovel, Hammond and his son had no survival equipment. They were able to dig a snow cave to stay warm.

The two were spotted by helicopters about 10:45 a.m. Thursday and taken to Boundary Community Hospital. Father and son were treated for minor cold-related injuries and released.