Wyoming
Wandering hunters stumble on plane crash, save pilot from inferno in Wyoming woods
A pair of hunters went from wandering in the wrong direction through the Wyoming wilderness to pulling an injured pilot out of a raging inferno after his tiny plane crashed Sunday morning.
The two men, who were coincidentally expertly trained to rescue the wounded pilot, had suffered a series of setbacks during their hunting trip — including heading the wrong way while avoiding grizzly bears — that put them in the right place to see and respond to the fiery crash, according to a report.
Steve Atencio, a Black Hawk pilot for the Wyoming Army Guard and former firefighter, and JR Larsen, an ex-athletic trainer, heard a loud bang at around 10:45 a.m. and rushed into action in the town of Meeteetse.
After searching around the area, they told Cowboy State Daily they spotted thick smoke rising from the trees and called for help.
Atencio quickly deployed a Garmin inReach device to send out an SOS as neither man had cell service. While attempting to get in touch with emergency agencies, the pair trekked toward the crash site carrying around 40 pounds of equipment each in case they needed it.
“We were both blasting through the trees as fast as we could,” Atencio told the newspaper.
As Atencio was working with first responders who finally received his dire message, Larsen ran slightly ahead down a muddy hill, tripping a few times, as he tried to reach the source of the smoke as quickly as possible.
When the pair reached the downed plane, Larsen reportedly shouted, “Is anybody there?”
The pilot responded and called out for help as he was lying face down near the fire with his hands under his head. He told the hunters he believed his back was broken, though his arms and legs were still moving.
The pilot also told Larsen he believed his passenger, later identified as 78-year-old Mary Lou Sanderson, was dead.
“That’s when it started to hit home how serious this was,” Larsen told Cowboy State Daily.
As the fire edged toward the pilot and burning branches began to fall around them, both Larsen and Atencio went to great length to tug the pilot to safety.
They said they first placed a tarp under his body, but it ripped. They then turned Atencio’s pack frame into a makeshift harness and strapped it onto the pilot to carry him away, the outlet reported.
As they pulled the man through thick greenery, the pair also had to be careful with the severe burns the pilot suffered.
At one point, the pilot reportedly told them, “Leave me here,” but the rescuers were able to get him to a safe spot.
Eventually, a rescue helicopter landed about 75 yards from the crash site with Atencio’s guidance and transported the pilot to a hospital in Montana where he is currently receiving treatment, according to the news outlet.
His passenger was confirmed dead.
For the hunters, it almost felt like fate that they were in the right place at the right time to rescue the pilot, they told the local paper.
“Nothing about where we were headed was part of the plane,” Larsen told Cowboy State Daily. “For whatever reason, that’s where we were put.”
Sheridan will play in the North Regional Tournament at Gillette, while the South Regional Tournament will be played at Rock Springs.
North Regional Tournament at Gillette:
Checking record vs. highest team in the quadrant not involved in the tie, Thunder Basin gets the #1 Northeast seed over Campbell County, because the Lady Bolts went 3-1 vs. Sheridan, whereas the Lady Camels went 2-2.
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 NE) Thunder Basin vs. (#4 NW) Jackson – 11am
(#2 NW) Natrona County vs. (#3 NE) Sheridan – 11am
(#2 NE) Campbell County vs. (#3 NW) Kelly Walsh – 1pm
(#1 NW) Cody vs. (#4 NE) Worland – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Thunder Basin/Jackson winner vs. Natrona County/Sheridan winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh winner vs. Cody/Worland winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Thunder Basin/Jackson loser vs. Natrona County/Sheridan loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh loser vs. Cody/Worland loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
South Regional Tournament at Rock Springs:
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 SW) Laramie vs. (#4 SE) Torrington – 11am
(#2 SE) Cheyenne East vs. (#3 SW) Green River – 11am
(#2 SW) Rock Springs vs. (#3 SE) Wheatland – 1pm
(#1 SE) Cheyenne Central vs. (#4 SW) Cheyenne South – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Laramie/Torrington winner vs. Cheyenne East/Green River winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Rock Springs/Wheatland winner vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Laramie/Torrington loser vs. Cheyenne East/Green River loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Rock Springs/Wheatland loser vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
CASPER, Wyo. — Jackson resident Rebecca Bextel has announced her candidacy for governor, seeking the nomination of the Constitution Party.
Bextel, a small business owner, framed her campaign as a challenge to the established political system in Wyoming. She said she intends to provide a conservative alternative for voters who believe the Republican primary often favors candidates who compromise on their principles.
“My run for Governor as the Constitution Party candidate aims to allow conservatives two lanes for the same race, just like the Democrats,” Bextel said in a statement.
Her platform prioritizes energy production, Second Amendment rights, school choice and efforts to reduce government regulation. Bextel also emphasized a focus on election integrity, calling for voter identification requirements and increased transparency.
The announcement comes on the heels of a controversy during the 2026 legislative budget session in Cheyenne. In February, the Wyoming House of Representatives voted unanimously to form a special committee to investigate Bextel’s actions after she handed out campaign donation checks to several lawmakers on the House floor.
Bextel acknowledged delivering the checks, which she said were from a Teton County donor. She maintained there was no wrongdoing in “delivering lawful campaign checks” while at the Capitol. Legislators initiated the inquiry to determine if the actions violated the state constitution or constituted legislative misconduct.
While Wyoming House investigators cleared lawmakers of wrongdoing, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak’s parallel investigation was still ongoing as of April.
Bextel previously served as a precinct committee person and state committeewoman within the Republican Party. She unsuccessfully sought the top leadership position of the Wyoming Republican Party last year. She said her decision to join the Constitution Party arose from her observations of political insiders and party machinery in Cheyenne.
The Constitution Party plans to hold a state convention on June 18 and 19 to nominate candidates for the general election ballot.
Others filing to take the seat Gov. Mark Gordon is vacating include Sheridan resident Gabriel Green, a Democrat, and Republicans Brent Bien, Sen. Eric Barlow and State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder. A fourth Republican, Joseph Kibler, withdrew his announced candidacy in April.
The primary election is set for Aug. 18. The general election will be Nov. 3.
Related
It is the last week of the 2026 regular season for Class 3A girls’ and boys’ soccer teams in the Cowboy State. Only the top four from each conference will advance to next week’s state tournament in Gillette. These last regular-season matches could impact where teams finish in the league standings. That would shape the first-round matches at the state tournament. The week begins with a rescheduled girls’ match from an earlier postponement. The rest of the slate is Thursday through Saturday.
WYOPREPS WEEK 9 CLASS 3A BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE 2026
Here are the 3A matches on the schedule for Week 9. Schedules are subject to change.
MONDAY, MAY 11
Girls:
Final Score: Rawlins 5 Pinedale 0
TUESDAY, MAY 12
Girls:
Final Score: #5 Mountain View 7 Pinedale 0 (conference match)
Boys:
Final Score: #5 Mountain View 3 Pinedale 0 (conference match)
THURSDAY, MAY 14
Girls:
Lyman at #3 Lander, 3 p.m. (conference match)
Boys:
Lyman at #2 Lander, 5 p.m. (conference match)
FRIDAY, MAY 15
Girls:
Rawlins at Douglas, 3 p.m. (conference match)
#1 Cody at #2 Powell, 4 p.m. (conference match)
Worland at #4 Buffalo, 4 p.m. (conference match)
Newcastle at Torrington, 6 p.m. (conference match)
Boys:
Rawlins at Douglas, 5 p.m. (conference match)
#4 Worland at #2 Buffalo, 6 p.m. (conference match)
Final Score: Torrington 1 Newcastle 0 (conference match) – forfeit win for the Blazers.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Girls:
#3 Lander at #5 Mountain View, 11 a.m. (conference match)
Pinedale at Lyman, noon (conference match)
Boys:
#2 Lander at #5 Mountain View, 1 p.m. (conference match)
Pinedale at Lyman, 2 p.m. (conference match)
2026 Glen Legler Early Bird Track Meet
Athletes competed in Casper at NCHS during Week 2 of the 2026 season in the Glen Legler Early Bird Invite.
Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Shannon Dutcher
-
Politics5 minutes agoTrump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes.
-
Business11 minutes agoIn Qatar, Energy Sector Damage Is Severe, and the Way Back Will Be Long
-
Science17 minutes agoLithuania’s Peat Bogs Could Help the Climate and Defend the Border, Too
-
Health23 minutes agoWill Her Daughter Be Safe at Pali High as It Rebuilds From LA Wildfires?
-
Culture35 minutes agoJudith Barnard, of Best-Selling ‘Judith Michael’ Fame, Dies at 94
-
Lifestyle41 minutes agoThe Family Branding of Sean Duffy’s Road Trip Reality Show
-
Education47 minutes agoUniversity of Chicago Makes Tuition Free for Families Making Under $250,000
-
Technology53 minutes agoUse this map to find the data centers in your backyard