BEND, OR -- A Bend man got stuck overnight, while snowmobiling near Mt. Bachelor. Stephanie Boni called 911 just after 1 a.m. Friday to report her husband Patrick Boni was possibly in distress. Boni had gone snowmobiling on Thursday afternoon and got stuck on his way back to his vehicle.

Deschutes County Search and Rescue (SAR) patrol deputies attempted to pinpoint his location, and determined he was likely southeast of Mt. Bachelor. Operations staff from the ski hill used a snow cat to follow snowmobile tracks and an AirLink helicopter was able to spot Boni's helmet light to confirm his location. He was stuck in waist-deep snow about 500' down a drainage from the catch line, in timber. 

Nearly a dozen SAR volunteers deployed from Sunrise Lodge and snowmobiled as close as they could. Then, they traveled by snowshoe downhill into the drainage, reaching Boni and warming him up briefly. He was able to snowshoe back with the group, up to the catch line. He was then taken by snow cat to Mt. Bachelor by about 7:30 a.m.

Boni is said to be an experienced rider, equipped for the conditions, with appropriate clothing and a pack of some supplies.