Fifteen-year-old Aaron Nadeau of New Portland just as he two others emerge from the woods in a rescue in the Rapid Stream Valley that stretched from Sunday to Monday afternoon. (David Hart photo) CARRABASSETT VALLEY –- Skiing and riding beyond the Sugarloaf backside boundaries has taken its toll on the rescue forces in the area. A total of nine people over the course of two days last weekend launched rescue efforts stemming from skiing and riding out of bounds. In all cases, skiers and riders were successfully rescued.

Three different groups went beyond the boundaries on Friday night to make a total of five missing people. In just a couple of hours, this group was luckily found together and returned to safety.

In a second event, a strenuous rescue effort went late into the night last Sunday stretching into Monday afternoon. Four snowboarders were left to spend the night in the Rapid Stream Valley.

These four young men went south of the boundary line near the “Cant-dog” glade. As many find, the steep terrain forces skiers and riders in a different direction and sends them down into the Rapid Stream Valley heading toward Kingfield. And most often it can almost guarantee an overnight with Mother Nature.

The snowboarders were Cory Koop, 18, from North Pole, Alaska; Machali Belluscio 19, from Keene, N.H.; Luke Poisson, 18, of Lewiston and Aaron Nadeau, 15, from New Portland. Three of the four were University of Maine, Farmington students.

Poisson separated himself from the group and was found by Game Wardens Tom McKenney and Pat Egan at 9:30 a.m. the next day. He did not require medical treatment.

Initial phone contact was made by Nadeau’s cell phone on Sunday evening and into the morning; rescuers, parents and others sent text messages.

According to CV Fire Chief Courtney Knapp, high winds and low visibility stopped the rescue mission after 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. It averaged about 22 degrees that night with 30 to 40 mph winds.

Knapp explained how frustrating it was to stop the search that evening having the victim at one point within shouting range. CV Fire Department member Bob Carlton said they could see them from below by their iPhone glare and they could shine a light beam on them from below where he and nine other responders were as far as they could go on snowmobiles. Carlton said the terrain was extremely steep and there was no chance of getting them out that evening.

The search continued at daybreak with members of the Sugarloaf Ski Patrol descending through very thick brush with nearly 55 inches of new snow on very steep terrain.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sugarloaf Ski Patrollers Ben Defroscia and Tony Fitch were the first to come upon the victims. The patrollers descended the cliff with the three snowboarders to where the snowmobile rescue team had set a base in the middle of the bowl.

“We could all hear each other and we were all working really well together,” Carlton explained.

“Two of them were very cold and to tell you the truth they were very lucky that we found them,” Fitch said. He explained that the rescue crew immediately got them into dry clothing, fed them and kept them warm.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. the victims were taken out by snowmobile to the West Kingfield Road where family members, friends and many members of the media were present. The young men were checked out by NorthStar and released.

Defroscia warned about the dangers of out-of-bound skiing and riding as exemplified that day. “A lot of it will have to do with education and a lot will be in the form of penalty in the terms of fines. This sort of stuff gets tremendously expensive as you can imagine. As far as the dangers go, these guys were very lucky. We just luckily came within 50 feet of them and we were lucky. We could have missed them and they would have had another night or two out there.”

Nearly 50 responders from Sugarloaf Ski Patrol, CV, Kingfield, New Portland and Eustis fire departments, NorthStar and the Maine Wardens Service put their lives on the line in an effort to save the lives of others.

Year after year skiers and riders seem to ignore the boundary lines, which can cost not only their season passes, fines and their lives, but potentially the lives of others.