NorthwestJanuary 28, 1996

Tribune and Associated Press

KELLOGG, Idaho A Pullman teen-ager lost for two days from the frigid Silver Mountain ski area was found alive Saturday, confounding skeptics who expected the boy was dead.

Andy Zeller, 16, was found about 10:30 a.m. in the Highland Creek area, which is about two miles outside the boundaries of the ski hill.

The boy was conscious and was taken to Shoshone Medical Center at Kellogg, where he was reported in stable condition with frostbite on a foot.

"He's going to quit skiing," an ecstatic Eileen Zeller said after greeting her son at the hospital with hugs and kisses.

The boy was placed in a whirlpool to warm up, and would stay at the hospital overnight, officials said.

Zeller made one request to his family he wanted a steak dinner, according to Shoshone County Sheriff's Office officials.

After four dozen searchers failed to locate Zeller on Friday, officials were pessimistic about his fate as a severe winter storm pummeled the area.

But Zeller's tracks were spotted Saturday morning by members of the Fairchild Air Force Base search and rescue team. They found the boy about an hour later, and brought him to safety on a snowmobile.

"He had enough sense to hole up," said Shawn Cros, who found Zeller. "He dug himself a pseudo-snow cave, which helped insulate him and kept him alive."

Zeller was a Boy Scout and had received some survival training, Shoshone County Sheriff Dan Schierman said.

"There might have been some luck involved, but ... the benefit was from the Boy Scout training," he added.

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Zeller was last seen early Thursday afternoon, when he split from two companions to ski on an easier run. Zeller was on only the second ski trip of his life, officials said. The friends went skiing because heavy snow closed Pullman schools on Thursday.

He apparently took a wrong turn off the ski lift and became lost in the fog, officials said.

Zeller spent his first night sleeping under a tree, hoping to be found, officials said. He dug the snow cave the second night, as temperatures dropped to 14 degrees and heavy snow fell.

He lost his left ski boot on Friday and happened to have some surgical gloves with him. He placed a surgical glove under his sock on his foot to keep it dry, Schierman said.

"He said that sucked,' " father Jeffrey Keller said. "He has that sense of humor."

Zeller had severe frostbite on his left foot, especially his big toe, Schierman said. His foot was being slowly warmed at the hospital late Saturday and a full recovery was expected.

While it's not uncommon for skiers to stray beyond the borders of Silver Mountain, this is the first time a search of this magnitude had occured, according to Schierman.

He added that Zeller was in good spirits when found and joked with his rescuers, although he was wet and tired.

"It was very joyous for everyone," said Schierman, a sentiment echoed by Jeffrey Zeller.

"It is absolute elation to have our son back."

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