A group of mountain bikers are being hailed as heroes after locating and helping rescue a missing hiker in the rugged Idaho backcountry.
Heather Wayment was reported missing by her family on Wednesday, Sept. 17, a day after she was last seen, according to a news release from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). Authorities discovered her vehicle in the Prairie Creek area of Blaine County, but Wayment herself was nowhere to be found.
Her search ended the following day, Thursday, Sept. 18, when a trio of bikers stumbled upon her more than 17 miles from her last known location in the mountains of Camas County. The group — brothers Tommy and Vinton Gwinn and their friend Shelton Robinson, all from Pocatello — told East Idaho News that Wayment was wandering in her underwear and that her feet were bleeding.
“We stopped as she was obviously in bad shape,” Tommy Gwinn said. “She didn’t want help at first. She was scared and very guarded. It took about a half hour before she would talk.”
Robinson added that Wayment eventually “let her guard down a bit and told us her name and that she was lost.” At the time, the bikers were unaware that a search for her was already underway.
Shortly afterward, three dirt bikers came across the group and immediately recognized Wayment as the missing hiker. They provided her with food while trying to determine their precise location in the remote wilderness.
Tommy Gwinn said he was able to contact his wife, who then reached out to the BCSO with the information. Due to the isolated location, coordinating a rescue proved challenging for authorities. An air ambulance ultimately responded, transporting Wayment to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.
The mountain bikers stayed by Wayment’s side until professional help arrived. “One of the dirt bike riders lifted her onto the back of his bike and took her down to the awaiting helicopter, saving the rescue crews time,” Robinson told East Idaho News.
In a statement, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to all involved: “We would like to thank the members of Blaine County Sheriff Search and Rescue, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, Snake River Search and Rescue, Blaine County Emergency Communications, Life Flight 76, the Camas County Sheriff’s Office, and all the members of the public who provided information to assist us in rescuing Heather Wayment safely.”
The statement added special thanks to the deputies and mountain bikers who “were able to contact law enforcement, guide the Life Flight crew to Heather, and remain by Heather’s side offering aid until medical assistance could arrive.”
Wayment’s survival highlights both the dangers of Idaho’s remote wilderness and the critical role of everyday citizens in emergency rescues.
Heather Wayment, missing hiker found near Prairie Creek area of Blaine County, Idaho.
Blaine County Sheriff Idaho
