New Mexico family rescued after four days in snowy mountains

A New Mexico family of four was rescued after going missing for several days after they were caught in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, police said.

The Rogers family was elk hunting in southern New Mexico’s Lincoln National Forest when a blizzard hit the area, according to a statement by New Mexico State Police over the weekend.

Cutter Rogers, 36, of Carlsbad, and his three children, aged 11 to 14, got stuck in snow in their pickup truck and hunkered down in the vehicle, police said.

The Rogers were reported missing on Thursday when they did not return to a local hotel.

Search-and-rescue workers and police as well as relatives and friends went out on snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles to find them.

The National Weather Service reported snowfall of up to 18 inches (45 cm) in mountains north of the area.

The Rogers’ silver pickup was located around noon on Friday south of Cloudcroft, with the family safe inside. They were airlifted off the mountain, police said.

“They stayed hunkered down in that pickup truck for the last two days, waiting,” State Police officer David Miller told the Carlsbad Current Argus newspaper.

The Rogers family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Harsh winter weather was expected to continue in New Mexico into the new year, with most of the state under a winter storm warning, and up to a further 8 inches (20 cm) of snow expected through New Year’s Day in some areas.