GILPIN COUNTY, Colo. — A Gilpin County man's neighbors are lending a helping hand after he was trapped in shoulder-deep snow for 10 hours during Thursday's snowstorm.
Bren Wilson normally helps clear out roads and rescue stranded neighbors with his tractor during the snow season. Thursday, Wilson was in need of rescuing after his tractor stalled while trying to plow a path down Missouri Gulch Road.
"I was going to try and make it to my neighbor's ranch down the hill, which I estimated to be maybe a half mile or so," said Wilson. “I didn't estimate that the snow would be up to my shoulders.”
Wilson had been fighting through chest-deep snow when he decided to dig a snow cave and rest until rescuers arrived. After she hadn't heard from her father in a few hours, Kyla Wilson gave him a call.
“My phone rang and it was my daughter and I never had cell phone service there before," said Wilson.
Kyla was on the phone with her dad for over an hour and a half by the time Alpine Rescue volunteers found him Friday morning.
The Alpine Rescue Team struggled through tough conditions to find Wilson. Volunteers had to trudge through the snow on skis after their snowmobiles were stuck in the snow.
“I was shutting down," said Wilson. "I said my goodbyes to my daughter, it was tough.”
Rescuers reached Wilson right as his phone died and took him to Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, where he was treated for hypothermia. He was released Friday afternoon.
"I still have work to do," said Wilson.
Although sore, Wilson is already back on his feet and hopes to eventually find his tractor, which is still stuck in the snow.
While he recovers, Wilson's neighbors have cleared the roads to his home and his driveway.
"We're a small community, but we're a strong community and we really look out for each other," said Wilson.
Currently, Wilson is scheduled for a medical checkup on Monday.
Wilson has a GoFundMe to help pay for his medical expenses and also to support the Alpine Rescue Team. If you'd like to donate, click here.
