Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 14, 1993 TAG: 9303140114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORTON LENGTH: Medium
4-WHEELING GROUP STUCK ON MOUNTAIN
Authorities say 12 to 16 young people who were four-wheeling on High Knob Mountain in Wise County were stranded overnight Friday and all day Saturday when drifts of up to 10 feet blocked their way out and prevented rescuers from reaching them.Barbara Edwards, deputy coordinator of emergency services in Scott County, said those stranded are 20 to 22 years old and that most are from the county.
"They were just four-wheeling," she said, referring to the pastime of driving around off the road in four-wheel drive vehicles.
"It just got real bad," Edwards said. "There's a flat area up there between two mountains. They just couldn't get out. There's drifts up there probably eight to 10 feet."
Edwards said the young people have a cellular telephone in one of the vehicles and remain in contact with rescuers.
They also have heat in their vehicles and are running the heat about 10 minutes every hour to stay warm, she said. They also have a little bit of food and said they "aren't hungry yet," Edwards said. "They seem to be in pretty good spirits."
H&H Logging of Big Stone Gap has loaned a log skidder, used to pull logs down the mountain, and authorities were using it early Saturday night to reach the young people from that side of the mountain - about 10 miles away.
The Norton Rescue Squad was continuing to try to reach them with snowmobiles from the Norton side of the mountain, she said. But a rescue that way would involve taking the young people out one at a time, which would be time-consuming, Edwards said.
Brenda Waters, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Transportation's Bristol District, said crews had been working most of the day to try to clear the National Forest Service Road leading up to the area, but have been hampered by high snow drifts.