Game Wardens Rescue Frozen Hog Hunters in East Texas

According to Texas Game Wardens, things went from bad to worse for a trio of hog hunters who found themselves stranded in Davy Crockett National Forest last weekend. According to a post from the state’s game wardens, they were made aware of the dire situation at around 3 AM on Monday morning.

After receiving a distress call from one of the hunters, Texas Game Wardens enlisted the help of Houston County Search and Rescue (SAR) to mount a rescue operation. With below freezing temperatures plaguing the region, rescue teams knew that time was of the essence and scrambled to find the stranded hunters.

Upon arriving on the scene, rescue teams were able to locate the first individual who was fortunate enough to have found his way back to his vehicle. Game wardens then assessed the man’s condition and found him to be suffering from hypothermia. Advising the hunter to remain in his heated vehicle, SAR teams supplied him with blankets as they set out to locate the other missing hunters.

Wardens and SAR personnel then embarked on a hike that took them over a mile into the wilderness in search of human life. In the dark of night, they were able to locate one of the hunters who was safely on land and another who had been stranded 100 yards across a flooded creek. 

Given the condition of the two men they’d already rescued, teams were well aware that the third and final hunter was undoubtedly wet and suffering from extreme hypothermia as they devised a plan to get him back across the creek. 

One of the wardens donned a lifejacket and plunged into the sub-zero waters of the creek and swam across to the third victim. With throw ropes affixed to the submerged warden, he was able to grab the last hunter and safely transport him back across the icy waters to safety.

Moving swiftly, rescue teams ushered the final two victims on the mile-long journey back to their vehicle where they found the original victim had since built a fire to warm up. Using a combination of the fire and some self-heating blankets, all three victims and the wet warden gathered around the warmth of the fire as they waited for the next stage of the rescue operation to commence.

With emergency medical teams staged nearby, the frozen hunters were transferred to their care for treatment and are expected to make a full recovery.