COOKE CITY, Mont. – A North Dakota man has died in an avalanche triggered by a companion during a weekend snowmobile trip, authorities say.
Jeffrey Michel, 34, of Jamestown, N.D., was buried under about 7 feet of snow for about 18 minutes Saturday on Scotch Bonnet Mountain, several miles north of Cooke City, Park County Undersheriff Gary Tanascu said.
Michel was with a group of North Dakota snowmobilers who were “high-marking,” a term that refers to driving their machines high on a slope. Michel’s snowmobile got stuck and as he tried to free it, another snowmobiler high-marked above him and set off an avalanche, Tanascu said.
Companions freed Michel from the snow but were unable to revive him, the undersheriff said.
“The victim did have a beacon on, which was great although, unfortunately, it didn’t help,” Tanascu said. “They got him out within 18 minutes, which was very good.”
Tanascu said Michel was buried so deep that it would have been difficult to survive. “So even though they did everything they could – his partners and others on the scene – it wasn’t good enough,” the undersheriff said.
“They were all high-marking, trying to get to the top of the peak,” Tanascu said. “High-marking is dangerous, and there’s always a chance that you’re going to set off an avalanche when you’re doing that.”
Michel received the North Dakota Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award last month.
RIP
Full Version: COOKE CITY, Mont. (Dec 16th)
I just found out that I work with two of his nephews. 
He was also with his sons, 16 and 14.
That really sucks.
Randy
http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=43854
Jeff Michel was the perfect example of the North Dakota farmer — a hard-working man who loved the land and his family. The winner of the North Dakota Farm Bureau’s 2006 Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement award, Michel died Saturday while snowmobiling in Montana.
He was with four friends — Chad Rudolph, Max Brandenberger, Diane Carlson and Kathy Blouin — and his sons, Cody, 16, and Kale, 14.
“It (the trip) was something he and the boys looked forward to every year,” said his wife, Julie. “He loved being with the boys.”
Jeff Michel died Saturday in Montana.
What started out as a father-son bonding vacation ended tragically around 11 a.m. when Jeff Michel’s snowmobile became stuck in the snow. He had just freed his machine and was putting his helmet back on when another snowmobiler, not from his party, drove next to him on the mountain, setting off an avalanche that buried Michel under 7 feet of snow.
“Jeff was a very good rider and a very smart rider,” Julie said, but the avalanche happened so suddenly, he had no chance to escape.
Julie said Cody tried to use his beacon to locate his dad.
“The boys both helped dig their dad out.” she said. “That’s an awful picture they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”
By the time the snowmobile party found Jeff, 18 minutes had passed. Rudolph tried CPR for a half hour, until the search and rescue team arrived and took over. They continued CPR for another 10 minutes, but it was too late.
Jeff’s mother, Darlene Michel, said farming and family were the most important things in her son’s life. He grew up on his grandparents’ farm south of Eldridge and was working with his dad, Jerry, from age 9.
“He was a farm boy from little up,” Darlene said.
Farming was the only career Jeff ever wanted. He married Julie Entzminger — a farm girl herself — in 1990, and two years later they joined his father and his brother, Todd, in the farming operation.
Jeff purchased his own farm eight miles south of the family farm, which was divided between the brothers when their father retired.
Jeff was a hard worker, but also a devoted father, his mother said. No matter how hard he worked all week, he never missed a chance to take his children to motocross on the weekend, Darlene said.
“It didn’t matter if he worked till midnight on the combine. He still went with the boys,” she said.
Equally devoted to his daughter Amanda, 12, Jeff went to all her gymnastics meets. He even left seeding one spring to watch her compete in Minneapolis.
“He just put his kids first,” Julie said.
Julie was a full partner with her husband, working side by side with him in the field. Amanda would help in the house, making lunches for the family so her mother could work in the field.
“Yes, we did everything as partners, but the main man is gone,” Julie said.
But Julie is determined to continue farming their 4,200 acres. She is thankful that Jeff was very organized and ahead of the game. All the seed and fertilizer are already purchased, waiting for spring planting.
She is also thankful for all the friends, neighbors and family members who have offered to help.
“Everybody has offered and I know everybody will kick in,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be hard. Thank God all these years I was in there with him.”
Along with her own love of the farm, Julie is determined to keep going for her children — especially oldest son Cody.
“Jeff already had plans to bring him in (to the farming operation) because Cody has always shown an interest,” Julie said.
Darlene agreed that her grandson Cody is very determined to farm.
“He’s not going to give that up,” she said.
The only change Julie plans is one that she and Jeff had already decided upon — to sell the cattle. They had already started removing fences this year. That will make a little less work for the family, but continuing without “the main man” will be a challenge — one that Julie will soon need to face.
“We’re going to keep going, with a lot of help,” she said.
Jeff would have wanted it that way. Julie said his dream was always for the farm to continue in the family after he was gone.
The funeral for Jeff Michel is at 2 p.m. today at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Jamestown.
He was also with his sons, 16 and 14.
That really sucks. Randy
http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=43854
Jeff Michel was the perfect example of the North Dakota farmer — a hard-working man who loved the land and his family. The winner of the North Dakota Farm Bureau’s 2006 Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement award, Michel died Saturday while snowmobiling in Montana.
He was with four friends — Chad Rudolph, Max Brandenberger, Diane Carlson and Kathy Blouin — and his sons, Cody, 16, and Kale, 14.
“It (the trip) was something he and the boys looked forward to every year,” said his wife, Julie. “He loved being with the boys.”
Jeff Michel died Saturday in Montana.
What started out as a father-son bonding vacation ended tragically around 11 a.m. when Jeff Michel’s snowmobile became stuck in the snow. He had just freed his machine and was putting his helmet back on when another snowmobiler, not from his party, drove next to him on the mountain, setting off an avalanche that buried Michel under 7 feet of snow.
“Jeff was a very good rider and a very smart rider,” Julie said, but the avalanche happened so suddenly, he had no chance to escape.
Julie said Cody tried to use his beacon to locate his dad.
“The boys both helped dig their dad out.” she said. “That’s an awful picture they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”
By the time the snowmobile party found Jeff, 18 minutes had passed. Rudolph tried CPR for a half hour, until the search and rescue team arrived and took over. They continued CPR for another 10 minutes, but it was too late.
Jeff’s mother, Darlene Michel, said farming and family were the most important things in her son’s life. He grew up on his grandparents’ farm south of Eldridge and was working with his dad, Jerry, from age 9.
“He was a farm boy from little up,” Darlene said.
Farming was the only career Jeff ever wanted. He married Julie Entzminger — a farm girl herself — in 1990, and two years later they joined his father and his brother, Todd, in the farming operation.
Jeff purchased his own farm eight miles south of the family farm, which was divided between the brothers when their father retired.
Jeff was a hard worker, but also a devoted father, his mother said. No matter how hard he worked all week, he never missed a chance to take his children to motocross on the weekend, Darlene said.
“It didn’t matter if he worked till midnight on the combine. He still went with the boys,” she said.
Equally devoted to his daughter Amanda, 12, Jeff went to all her gymnastics meets. He even left seeding one spring to watch her compete in Minneapolis.
“He just put his kids first,” Julie said.
Julie was a full partner with her husband, working side by side with him in the field. Amanda would help in the house, making lunches for the family so her mother could work in the field.
“Yes, we did everything as partners, but the main man is gone,” Julie said.
But Julie is determined to continue farming their 4,200 acres. She is thankful that Jeff was very organized and ahead of the game. All the seed and fertilizer are already purchased, waiting for spring planting.
She is also thankful for all the friends, neighbors and family members who have offered to help.
“Everybody has offered and I know everybody will kick in,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be hard. Thank God all these years I was in there with him.”
Along with her own love of the farm, Julie is determined to keep going for her children — especially oldest son Cody.
“Jeff already had plans to bring him in (to the farming operation) because Cody has always shown an interest,” Julie said.
Darlene agreed that her grandson Cody is very determined to farm.
“He’s not going to give that up,” she said.
The only change Julie plans is one that she and Jeff had already decided upon — to sell the cattle. They had already started removing fences this year. That will make a little less work for the family, but continuing without “the main man” will be a challenge — one that Julie will soon need to face.
“We’re going to keep going, with a lot of help,” she said.
Jeff would have wanted it that way. Julie said his dream was always for the farm to continue in the family after he was gone.
The funeral for Jeff Michel is at 2 p.m. today at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Jamestown.
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