Nicholas Joy Search at Sugarloaf Mtn. by Barry London

Strong Turnout by FSAR 
At the Search for Lost Skier on Sugarloaf Mountain
MARCH 5, 2013

By Barry London FSAR

On Sunday, March 3, Nicholas Joy skied off the Timberline trail at the Sugarloaf Ski Resort into a glade area, then, after failing to return to the trail, skied down into the Carrabassett River drainage in the Caribou Valley. Initially, the Maine Warden Service, with the assistance of the Sugarloaf Ski patrol and numerous other volunteers, searched the ski resort trails, glades and several out of bounds areas without success on Sunday night and Monday.

On Monday night, Maine Search and Rescue (MASAR) put a request for search teams to mobilize at a command post set up in the maintenance facility at the resort at 7:00 am. More than 80 people turned out on Tuesday morning for the search. Numerous agencies responded including 13 members from Franklin Search and Rescue. Pat Cyr served as Incident Command for FSAR and was leading one of the missions to search a densely wooded area near the top third of the mountain when the teen was found. Joy was found by a volunteer snowmobiler on a trail in the Caribou Valley, approximately 4 miles from Rt. 4 and nearly two miles from where he was last scene.

Although many of the searchers were canvassing areas away from the site where the teen was located, it was a relief for all to have him arrive at the trailhead with only mild hypothermia and complaining of being hungry. Temperatures had been in the twenties, near zero visibility and four inches of snow fell during the time Nicholas was missing.  A brief interview with the rescued teen after the event revealed he had built a snow cave, and drank water from the river to survive the ordeal, then eventually made his way in the direction of snowmobile traffic he had heard the previous day. He also stated he came across snowshoe tracks made a day earlier by rescuers out looking and followed these to the snowmobile trail.

Rescuers riding the Superquad chairlift to get to the search site near the Timberline Trail on Tuesday morning before Nicholas Joy was located. (photo: Melissa Shea)