Nine-year-old Snowmobiler Rescues Father, Rides Miles for Help
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.10.14
Bode Beirdneau, age nine, is being hailed as a hero after he rode a snowmobile for miles to seek help for his trapped father. Beirdneau and his dad, JT Beirdneau, were riding near South Lake Tahoe, California on Sunday when events took a turn for the worse. According to ABC 7, Bode Bierdneau’s father crashed his snowmobile in a remote area and became trapped beneath the vehicle.
“His gas got stuck going at 30 miles per hour. He went up a hill and ran into a tree branch. He tried to jump off, but got pulled under the snowmobile and broke his femur,” Bierdneau told the Marin Independent Journal.
The nine-year-old attempted to dig his father out, but was unable to move the heavy snowmobile by himself. It was at this point that he discovered that his father had broken a leg during the accident. Without a cellphone signal or GPS, Bierdneau says his father urged him to find help.
“I was pretty nervous, it was a lot of pressure on me to try to get someone,” the boy told KTVU. “It was really hard because I didn’t know which way to go.”
Bierdneau said that he rode for miles on his own snowmobile before he was able to get the attention of a tour group, who radioed for help. Emergency responders from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Alpine County Sheriff’s Department, and local fire departments arrived at the crash site and were able to airlift his father out.
Rescue officials say that the nine-year-old’s levelheadedness and intuition were vital in saving the life of his father.
“Knowing the area helped out a lot with them,” said CHP officer Jeff Gardner. “He showed a lot of maturity for his age.”
Bierdneau’s father was later taken to a hospital for treatment, where he is expected to recover.
You can see a short interview with Bierdneau below:
http://youtu.be/CgQuZcshv2M
