Two hunters turned their misadventure in the Wyoming wilderness into a heroic act by rescuing an injured pilot from a plane crash on Sunday.
As recounted to Cowboy State Daily, the two men—coincidentally trained in rescuing injured pilots—faced a series of setbacks during their hunting trip. Their survival gaffes, which involved mistakenly navigating in the wrong direction to evade grizzly bears, ultimately placed them in the perfect position to witness and respond to the fiery crash.
Steve Atencio, a Black Hawk pilot with the Wyoming Army Guard and a former firefighter, along with JR Larsen, a former athletic trainer, sprang into action after hearing a startling boom around 10:45 a.m. in the town of Meeteetse.
After exploring the area, they reported seeing thick smoke billowing from the trees and immediately called for assistance.
Atencio swiftly activated a Garmin inReach device to send an SOS, as neither individual had cell service. While trying to contact emergency services, the duo made their way to the crash site. They each carried approximately 40 pounds of equipment just in case.
“We were both blasting through the trees as fast as we could,” Atencio recalled to Cowboy State Daily.
While Atencio was relaying his urgent message to the first responders, Larsen hurried ahead down a muddy hill, stumbling a few times in his race to locate the source of the smoke.
Upon reaching the wrecked plane, Larsen called out for possible survivors.
The pilot called out for help while lying face down near the fire, his hands supporting his head. He informed the hunters that he suspected his back was broken, yet he could still move his arms and legs.
As the Hunters Rescued the Pilot Who Had Crashed, He Allegedly Urged Them to Leave Him Behind
The pilot also informed Larsen that he believed his passenger, later identified as 78-year-old Mary Lou Sanderson, had passed away.
“That’s when it started to hit home how serious this was,” Larsen told the outlet.
Larsen and Atencio worked tirelessly to rescue a pilot as a fire approached, initially placing a tarp under him, which ripped. They then used Atencio’s pack frame to create a makeshift harness to carry the pilot to safety.
As they navigated through the dense foliage, the duo had to exercise caution due to the severe burns the pilot had sustained. At one point, the pilot urged the duo to leave him behind. However, they persisted.
Ultimately, a rescue helicopter, guided by Atencio, landed approximately 75 yards from the crash site. They transported the pilot to a Montana hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, his passenger was later confirmed dead.