Iowa Snowmobilers Among Heroes of Weekend Blizzard

There were a lot of heroes this past weekend around the midwest. There are the obvious ones... those responsible for clearing the roads. You can't forget the police, fire, EMS, and first responders who had to answer the call to duty, despite the conditions. However, there were also those who volunteered to help, including four men who responded to a county sheriff who asked for assistance.

Tyler Bachtle of Northwood, Iowa, along with Kenny Stambaugh, Russ Meyer, and Brian Lund, all offered their services when the sheriff of Worth County asked for help. Worth County, bordering the Minnesota border north of Mason City, has Interstate 35 running through it. The interstate in that area was closed for a lengthy period of time during and after the blizzard.

Sunday morning, the four went out to try to rescue people who had called 911 and were stranded along Highway 65 in the county. Knowing the people they were going to assist wouldn't have clothing fitting for a snowmobile ride, they took along backpacks filled with the necessary gear. This video from Bachtle shows the conditions they encountered:

The group would check more than 25 abandoned vehicles and eventually rescue three people who had been stranded in their vehicle for 16 to 20 hours. They were taken to the Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood.

Brian Lund, Russ Meyer, Kenny Stambaugh, and Tyler Bachtle... four heroes in a weekend of many in Iowa and across the midwest.