Missing 11 Days, 1 Snowmobiler Rescued, 1 Dies
A snowmobiler missing for 11 days was found alive Sunday, next to the body of his wife buried in deep snow in a remote area of central Washington, authorities said Monday.
George Back, 50, from Kelso, was in serious condition at a Seattle hospital, with frostbite to his nose, elbows, knees and feet. Four snowmobilers spotted his boots sticking out of a snow cave and saw the couple’s two Norfolk terriers, barking nearby.
The body of Back’s wife, Diane McManus, 44, was found beside him, buried beneath the snow.
The couple had been missing since Jan. 27, after renting two snowmobiles near Leavenworth. About 4 feet of snow had fallen since they vanished. They wore winter gear, but apparently had no food or survival equipment.
“I cannot recall anyone being gone this long” being found alive in winter, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Brickert said. He said the temperatures had not been severe, fluctuating from the 20s to the 40s.
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