After two nights stranded near Greenwater in white-out conditions, a pair of snowmobilers were rescued Tuesday morning.
Glen Markovits, 44, and his girlfriend, Renee Bennett, 41, set out for some fun Sunday but got caught in the midst of a heavy snow and windstorm. They decided to hunker down in a snow cave for the night because they had extra clothing, food and water.
Come morning, Markovits rode his snowmobile a mile or so until he found cellphone service to call his daughter and tell her where he was. Then he asked her to call 911.
The weather was so bad at times that he was unable to hold the cellphone, he told KIRO-TV.
Nearly 50 searchers from the King County Sheriff’s Office began looking for the pair Monday morning. Crews reached them about 11:30 p.m. Monday about 5,000 feet between Blowout Mountain and Twin Camps near the King-Pierce county line.
Searchers warmed Markovits and Bennett up before heading back toward base camp. They arrived just before 7 a.m. Tuesday.
When asked what he would do next, Markovits told KIRO-TV that he planned to take a shower and perhaps head to work.
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com
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