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Teen Frostbitten, Recovers At Colorado Hospital After 3-Day Search

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Sheriff's officials found a woman dead of exposure and her teenage son suffering from frostbite Tuesday, ending a three-day search for a family of three that went missing while snowmobiling in the Medicine Bow Mountains.

Searchers had found the father in good condition Monday after he went for help and became separated from the other two.

The couple's 18-year-old son was being treated at a Colorado hospital and was in stable condition, Albany County Undersheriff Robert DeBree said. "He has a lot of frostbite," DeBree said.

Officials weren't identifying the Cheyenne family. Both parents were 46.

Heavy snow and strong wind slammed the southeast Wyoming mountains on Saturday night. The search began Sunday, a day after the woman, her husband and their son set out into the mountains and one of their three snowmobiles broke down.

The family built a fire and spent Saturday night in a snow cave, DeBree said.

Attempts by the father to find help failed when another snowmobile got stuck in ice and handlebars of the third broke off, stranding him away from the others. Searchers found him Monday, after he spent a second night in the mountains in a snow cave.

The search involved two Wyoming National Guard helicopters and several searchers on snowmobiles. The son was taken to a Colorado hospital.

FOUND SNOWMOBILERS 5VO(mAP).transfer

In Colorado, three snowmobilers reported missing in Garfield County were found safe Monday after spending a night in the backcountry. Two of their machines had mechanical problems, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reports.

Their names weren't released.

- By MEAD GRUVER, AP Writer

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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