Missing teen hiker rescued from chest-deep snow in Montana

May 11, 2023

A teen was rescued from chest-deep show in Montana’s Glacier National Park after going missing for three days during a hike, officials announced Tuesday.

Matthew Read, 19, had last been heard from Friday afternoon and was reported missing to park rangers Sunday after failing to return from his solo hike.

Around 11 p.m. Monday, the Montana search and rescue group Two Bear Air picked up a thermal heat signature in a heavily wooded part of the 1,583-square-mile wilderness in the Rocky Mountains.

A rescuer was lowered down to Read’s location and found him “somewhat responsive,” according to a statement from the National Park Service.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound teen was then attached to a 175-foot hoist and flown out of the park by helicopter, before being transferred to an ambulance and taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Read hiked the Huckleberry Lookout trail Friday and reached the first saddle, where he encountered a snowfield covering the trail and slipped into a drainage on the east side of Huckleberry Mountain.

“He descended into chest-deep snow, losing his phone, water bottle, and shoes,” park officials said.

Matthew Read, 19, is pictured in a hospital bed in Montana after being rescued from Glacier National Park where he had gone missing for three days.

.Video shows the Two Bear Air Rescue team rescuing Read — A rescue helicopter detected Read’s thermal heat signature (circled in red) in heavily wooded terrain Monday night

A rescuer was lowered down into the woods and found Read, who was then airlifted by a helicopter to safety.

Having realized that he could not make it back up to the trail, Read started working his way down the drainage.

The hiker’s car was found Sunday at the Huckleberry Lookout Trailhead after he was reported missing, triggering an intense search that eventually came to involve 30 people from various agencies, specially trained dogs and a helicopter.

Read has been recovering at Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell, where on Wednesday he recorded a video message thanking everyone who took part in his rescue.

Montana mountain range in summer from Huckleberry Lookout tower — The National Park Service said Read was hiking the Huckleberry Lookout trail in Glacier National Park Friday when he slipped, landed in deep snow and lost his cellphone.

Matthew Read — The 19-year-old was found “somewhat responsive” and was hospitalized in stable condition.

“I just really, really wanted to say how grateful I am for everybody who assisted in searching me,” Read said from his hospital bed. “I just cannot say enough from the bottom of my heart how grateful and thankful I am for all of you.”

Huckleberry Lookout Trail remained closed during the search by reopened Tuesday.