Executive Summary
- Joshua Dillon Escamilla, 31, and Edith Linares Pike were identified as the victims in separate crashes.
- Incidents occurred at Togwotee Pass and Granite Creek Road involving collisions with trees.
- Teton County Search and Rescue reported four winter fatalities to date, prompting safety warnings.
Two snowmobilers were killed in separate accidents in western Wyoming within a three-day span in late January, according to statements from Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) officials. The fatalities occurred in the Togwotee Pass and Granite Creek Road areas, prompting safety warnings from local authorities regarding backcountry conditions.
The most recent fatal incident took place on January 26 in the Togwotee Pass area. According to TCSAR, a man and a woman riding tandem in a guided group went off-trail and collided with a tree. The man, identified by the Jackson Hole News & Guide as 31-year-old Joshua Dillon Escamilla, subsequently went into cardiac arrest and died from his injuries. The woman was airlifted to a hospital in Idaho in unresponsive but breathing condition.
Three days prior, on January 23, emergency crews responded to two separate crashes along Granite Creek Road. In one incident, Edith Linares Pike sustained fatal head and neck trauma after striking a tree, according to Teton County Coroner Brent Blue. Pike was a resident of Stamford, Connecticut. In a separate accident on the same day, a 39-year-old man suffered a severe leg injury after rolling approximately 30 feet down an embankment.
TCSAR officials expressed their condolences on Facebook, noting a troubling spike in serious incidents. “This has been a challenging winter so far for our mountain community,” the group stated. “TCSAR has responded to four fatalities, with two coming in the last three days.” The agency urged the public to prioritize safety when undertaking backcountry objectives.
Public Safety Impact
The concentration of fatal accidents within a short timeframe underscores the inherent risks associated with winter backcountry recreation in the region. Teton County Search and Rescue’s report of four fatalities this season suggests a critical need for heightened situational awareness and adherence to safety protocols among snowmobilers. As visitor numbers to Wyoming’s wilderness areas fluctuate, the frequency of these emergency responses highlights the logistical and emotional strain on local search and rescue teams, reinforcing the importance of guided supervision and cautious operation in off-trail environments.
