Vicious winter storm knocks 6 mushers out of the Iditarod

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Three additional mushers running at the back of the pack have scratched from this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race after accepting assistance during a massive ground storm.

The vicious Friday storm forced six mushers in total to scratch after they sought help in the storm that packed high winds. Two of those mushers needed a rescue off the trial just miles from the end of the nearly 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race across Alaska.

Race marshal Mark Nordman was informed late Friday that Sebastien Dos Santos Borges, a rookie from Chazey-Bons, France, and KattiJo and Jeff Deeter, a married couple from Fairbanks running separate dog teams, accepted help and had scratched, said a Saturday afternoon statement from race officials.

Dos Santos Borges and the Deeters all accepted assistance between the checkpoints of White Mountain and Safety, which is just 22 miles (35 kilometers) from the finish line in Nome.

A White Mountain search and rescue team on snowmobiles assisted the mushers to a Nome Kennel Club shelter cabin, where they rode out the storm.

When conditions improved, Iditarod volunteers were able to assist getting the three and their dog teams to Nome, where the dogs will be checked by veterinarians.

All three mushers were in contact with Nordman while they were at the shelter cabin, and reported their teams were in good health.

Earlier Friday, two mushers had to be rescued, and a third scratched after receiving assistance back to a checkpoint.

Rookie Gerhardt Thiart, a native of South Africa now living in Cheboygan, Michigan, activated his emergency beacon because of the storm and a leg injury. A passerby on a snowmobile happened upon him and took him to White Mountain. He was eventually flown to Nome for evaluation of his injury.

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