NW Wis. snowmobiler found alive after two freezing days

From the Duluth News Tribune

After being missing for two days and two nights in bitter cold, a snowmobiler from Superior has been found alive and taken to Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Superior for treatment, according to the Superior Fire Department.

A plow operator found Craig W. Friebe, 52, on foot at the side of the road where County Road W crosses the Nemadji River at about 9 a.m. and called 911 for assistance. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department responded, and Friebe was transported for treatment of apparent frostbite and signs of hypothermia.

Details remain sketchy, but Friebe’s sled apparently ran out of gas, and he had to walk out of the area where he had been snowmobiling on foot, according to the Superior Fire Department.

Friebe had not been seen since Saturday morning, when he went snowmobiling in the Superior area. The search focused on the Nemadji River and the Tri-County Corridor from Superior to Brule, including the Wild Rivers Trail, running between Superior and Oakland.

The Superior Fire Department and neighboring fire departments began their search for Friebe at 9 a.m. Sunday. That search also included members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and firefighters from Superior Township, Parkland Township, Amnicon Township, Maple, Poplar and Brule.