Prompt action by three University of Wyoming students likely saved the life of a woman who was found stranded Monday near Happy Jack recreation area east of Laramie, according to local law enforcement officials.

Reports identify the students as Anton Schabauer, Rapid City, S.D.; Brian Schlidt, Casper; and Tyler Soulek, Littleton, Colo.

According to the investigating officers’ reports, the three students were hiking in the area Monday afternoon when they found clothing and a purse in the snow. Walking further on the trail, they spotted a vehicle that was stuck in the snow, and used a portable GPS device to mark the location.

The students returned to Laramie and immediately reported their findings to the UW Police Department, which contacted the Albany County Sheriff’s Department. Using the coordinates provided by the students, a deputy in the area was able to quickly locate the vehicle. The deputy reported that they found an unidentified Nebraska woman inside the stuck vehicle who “appeared to be extremely cold, and noticed that her feet were very swollen and red.” The vehicle could not be started.

An ambulance was called and paramedics treated the woman at the scene, and transferred her to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie to be treated for early stages of frostbite and hypothermia.

“These three individuals are to be commended for doing the right thing,” says Albany County Sheriff Dave O’Malley. “They went above and beyond their call of duty, and more likely than not saved this woman’s life.”

UWPD Chief Mike Samp also commends the students.

“They were three guys going for a walk in the mountains, and they took it on themselves to bring back all the needed information our departments needed to locate and provide necessary treatment for this woman,” he says.

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