An Idaho mayor and his wife who were outdoors to celebrate their wedding anniversary found themselves rescuing a man who was stranded in the mountains for over a day.
Trevor A. Chadwick, the mayor of Star, shared a Facebook post detailing what happened on Friday, March 14, when he and his wife were out “jeeping” to mark the occasion.
“Amber and I came upon this young man stuck in the snow and ice in the mountains for over 24 hours,” Chadwick wrote. “Not sure why he chose to drive in this location with his car. We were the only people that he saw come by, while he was stuck in the snow and Ice. He was also out of gas and had not eaten anything but a few chips.”
The couple offered five gallons of gas, chicken wraps and drinks to the stranger, Chadwick stated, adding that it took him four hours to free the man’s vehicle.
The work involved using Chadwick’s jack to lift the vehicle from the creek, “placing wood under the tires” and “using my traction boards.” He also mentioned that he traveled to Iowa City to get an extra tow strap so that the vehicle could be finally pulled out.
“I am thankful we were there to help him so he did not become a statistic,” Chadwick recalled in his Facebook post.
The mayor added that the young man wanted to repay him, but Chadwick declined and instead “told him to just pay it forward when someone needs help.”
Chadwick learned from the man that no one knew where he was, which the mayor called a mistake.
“Being a multi generational Idahoan everyone needs to understand our mountains are beautiful but can be very unforgiving,” he said. “Many people have lost their lives by not being prepared and not letting others know where they are going.”
Chadwick said that whenever he travels outdoors, he brings extra water, food, jackets and fuel. Most importantly, Chadwick added, he always tells people where he is and when he plans to return home.
“And I always stop and help when I see someone in distress, this is the Idaho way,” he wrote.
He concluded his post by telling people to enjoy the outdoors, be safe and “most importantly be kind.”
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According to his biography on the City of Star’s website, Chadwick and his wife have been married for more than 25 years; the couple has four children. A graduate of Boise High School, Chadwick has a master’s in business administration. He has been mayor of Star since 2020.
PEOPLE contacted the mayor’s for additional comment on Tuesday, March 18, but they did not immediately respond.
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