Colorado Man Found After Brief Search

Teton County Search and Rescue was involved in an abbreviated mission Friday morning after two backcountry hikers called the Teton County Sheriff’s Office to report that one of their party was missing. The two had set out on Thursday with a third hiker en route to the Plummer Canyon area on the west side of Teton Pass where they were planning to spend the night in a yurt.  However, one of the party, 60-year-old Ernie Moscovics, visiting from Colorado, fell back from his fellow hikers. When the other two reached the yurt Moscovics failed to show.  The two other hikers began back down the trail in an attempt to locate Moscovics and located his backpack, but were unable to locate him.  At 9:15 Friday morning, they called the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.  The Search & Rescue team organized a group of team members to begin a search of the area for the missing hiker while the Search & Rescue helicopter flew over the area to determine a starting point.  In the  process, the spotted the missing hiker. The helicopter was able to land and pick up Moscovics and fly him back to the trailhead. Moscovics was in good health at the time of his rescue although rather cold and thirsty after spending the night out without provisions.  Rescuers reported snow at the location was “neck-deep” in places making moving around difficult.