OWYHEE COUNTY, Idaho — A group of overdue hunters from Nampa was found safe on Monday afternoon, according to the Owyhee County Sheriff's Office.
A family friend says the hunting group included Tristan Galloway, and Galloway's son and father — all from Nampa — as well as one friend from Homedale.
The group set out to go elk hunting on Friday. They were expected back the same day, but family says they never returned and reported them missing.
On Monday, the sheriff's office told Idaho News 6 the hunting group was last seen near milepost 45 on Highway 51 between Bruneau and Grasmere.
Galloway says the group became stuck when a snow drift hit the area Friday afternoon.
Galloway is familiar with the terrain, telling Idaho News 6 Sr. Reporter Don Nelson that he has hunted in the area before. He said his group had enough food and water to last them the weekend. Galloway also says the group stayed with the vehicle until help arrived. In addition, he says they had an inReach GPS device, but says the device died — a lesson he says he will take with him on future hunting trips.
On Monday, the Owyhee County Sheriff's Office and several teams, including Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, combed the area to look for the group. The Idaho National Guard also brought in a Black Hawk helicopter to assist in an aerial search.
A National Guard spokesperson says the group was found at a high-priority point Monday around 12:41 p.m. After they were located, they transported them in the Black Hawk helicopter to Boise to be reunited with their families.
They landed at around 3 p.m.
Rob Shelton of Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue said, "This was one that is definitely one of our favorites because it's very rare that you get the entire group that you're looking for healthy and rescued and found."
