Two people from Snohomish, Wash., were rescued Monday evening after becoming stranded in snow near Indian Lake in Umatilla County.
According to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, Zachary Rich, age 19, and Amanda Ruhnke, age 18, were traveling Monday afternoon through Umatilla County on their way to Wyoming for the holidays. They planned to stop in Idaho for the night before finishing their trip when they discovered that Interstate 84 was closed due to road and weather conditions. Following a GPS route, they detoured through Pilot Rock and onto East Birch Creek Road when their small SUV became stuck in the snow near Indian Lake.
At about 3 p.m., Ruhnke contacted Umatilla County Dispatch. After patrols searched the area and could not locate the couple or their vehicle, UCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) was deployed at about 5 p.m. SAR members used snowmobiles to travel the roads and at around 10 p.m., located Ruhnke and Rich inside the vehicle near Indian Lake. Both were unharmed and were escorted to safety.
Winter driving conditions will impact travel throughout the Northwest, including Umatilla County and can change very quickly. Travelers are urged to check road and weather conditions before your trip. If conditions are bad, allow plenty of time and drive with extreme caution. Be prepared by bringing water, food, blankets and other emergency supplies, and make sure gas tanks are full and cell phones are fully charged.
