A group of bikers are being credited with helping locate and rescue a missing hiker in the Idaho wilderness

A missing hiker’s terrifying ordeal in the rugged wilderness of Idaho ended in an extraordinary rescue — thanks to the sharp eyes and selfless actions of a group of bikers who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Twelve days ago, 38-year-old Heather Wayment was reported missing after she failed to return home from a solo hike near the Prairie Creek area of Blaine County, Idaho. She was last seen on Tuesday, September 16, setting off into the woods with her gear and a confident smile, something she had done dozens of times before. When she didn’t check in the following day, her family grew anxious and contacted local authorities.

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office quickly launched a search, discovering her vehicle abandoned near the trailhead. Inside were some personal items — a backpack, water bottles, and a phone charger — but Heather herself was nowhere to be found. The situation grew more desperate by the hour. Search and rescue teams, aided by drones, dogs, and volunteers, combed through miles of dense terrain, but there was no trace of her.

That changed on Thursday, September 18, when three bikers — brothers Tommy and Vinton Gwinn and their friend Shelton Robinson, all from Pocatello — made a discovery that would save Heather’s life.

The men were navigating a remote section of the Camas County mountains, roughly 17 miles from where Heather’s car had been found, when they spotted a figure stumbling near a creek bed. At first, they thought it might be another hiker, but as they drew closer, it became clear something was very wrong.

“She was wandering, barely dressed, and her feet were bleeding,” Tommy Gwinn told East Idaho News. “We stopped immediately because she looked like she was in bad shape. She didn’t want help at first — she was terrified and very guarded. It took about half an hour before she’d even talk to us.”

Heather was disoriented, dehydrated, and showing clear signs of exposure. Her lips were cracked, her skin sunburned, and she could barely stand. “When she finally calmed down a bit, she told us her name,” said Robinson. “That’s when we realized she was the missing hiker everyone had been looking for.”

None of the men had cellphone service in the area, and at that point, they had no idea the scale of the search already underway. But fate intervened again when three dirt bikers happened upon the group. One of them recognized Heather’s face immediately from the missing person alerts circulating online.

“They gave her food and water right away,” said Vinton Gwinn. “We all started trying to figure out how to get her out, because it was a long, rough way back to civilization, and she could barely move.”

Using what little signal they could find, Tommy managed to reach his wife, who relayed their location to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. Because of how remote the area was, it took hours for authorities to coordinate a response. Search and Rescue teams, joined by the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit and Snake River Search and Rescue, scrambled to organize an airlift.

Meanwhile, the group of bikers stayed with Heather, wrapping her in extra clothes and keeping her hydrated. As evening fell, temperatures dropped, and the reality of how close she had come to death began to sink in.

“She was scared, weak, and confused,” said Robinson. “But once she knew we were there to help, she relaxed. I think that’s when she realized she was finally safe.”

A Life Flight helicopter eventually located the group, but landing directly in the rugged terrain was impossible. That’s when one of the dirt bikers made a split-second decision that saved even more time. “He lifted her onto the back of his bike and rode her down the mountain to where the helicopter could reach her,” Robinson explained. “It was risky, but it saved the rescue crew hours of climbing in the dark.”

Heather was airlifted to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, where she remains in stable condition. Doctors confirmed she was severely dehydrated, suffering from exposure and multiple injuries to her feet and legs, but she is expected to recover fully.

In a statement released the following day, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved. “We would like to thank the members of Blaine County Sheriff Search and Rescue, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, Snake River Search and Rescue, Blaine County Emergency Communications, Life Flight 76, the Camas County Sheriff’s Office, and all members of the public who provided information to assist us in rescuing Heather Wayment safely,” the agency wrote.

Special recognition was given to the mountain bikers who found Heather and stayed with her until help arrived. “Their quick thinking and compassion made all the difference,” the statement continued. “They were able to contact law enforcement, guide the Life Flight crew to Heather, and remain by her side offering aid until medical assistance could arrive.”

The details of Heather’s ordeal remain unclear. Investigators believe she may have become disoriented after straying from the main trail, then lost her way in the dense forest. With no food, limited water, and plummeting nighttime temperatures, surviving even a few days in those conditions would have been a tremendous challenge.

“She told us she’d been trying to find her way back for days,” Tommy said. “She drank water from streams and tried to keep moving during the day, but at night it got so cold she thought she’d die out there.”

The case has drawn renewed attention to the dangers of Idaho’s backcountry — a landscape as beautiful as it is unforgiving. The Prairie Creek region, known for its rugged peaks and unpredictable weather, is popular with hikers and campers during late summer. But it’s also vast, with poor cell coverage and few landmarks, making it easy to get lost.

Local officials are urging hikers to take precautions before venturing into remote areas: always inform someone of your route, carry a GPS or satellite device, bring extra supplies, and never underestimate how quickly conditions can change.

For Heather’s family, relief has replaced the panic that consumed them for days. In a statement shared with local media, they expressed profound gratitude. “We are overwhelmed with thanks for everyone who helped bring Heather home,” the family wrote. “To the bikers who found her, the rescue teams, and the strangers who shared her story — you saved her life. We can never repay that.”

Tommy and his friends say they were simply in the right place at the right time. “We didn’t do anything special,” he said modestly. “We just stopped because someone needed help. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”

But to Heather and her loved ones, their actions were nothing short of heroic.

The story of her rescue has spread quickly online, with many calling the bikers “angels on wheels.” For Heather, who is now recovering surrounded by family, the experience has reshaped her view of both nature and humanity. “I thought I was going to die out there,” she told hospital staff. “And then I heard engines coming through the trees — and I knew I had one last chance.”

Her survival, against all odds, stands as a powerful reminder of how acts of courage and compassion can turn tragedy into hope.

As the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office put it best: “Sometimes, the heroes aren’t the ones with badges or titles. Sometimes, they’re just ordinary people on bikes who refuse to look away.”