Turkey Hunting Twin Rescue

Twin brothers out turkey hunting became just the saviors two women needed earlier this year. On April 28, 2025, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force veterans, Brian and Rob Brown, ended their Idaho turkey hunt with a mountain rescue deep in an Idaho National Forest.

“While driving for miles up a forest road, looking where we could pull off and turkey hunt, we came across a vehicle with two women who needed immediate help,” said Brian, an NWTF member and Oregon call maker.

There was no cell phone service in the area, and Brian’s brother Rob went to see if anyone was inside the stranded vehicle.

“As Rob approached the vehicle to see if anyone was inside, not seeing them yet, the driver let down her window and faintly said, ‘Help us, please help us.’”

The Brown brothers happened upon the two who were trapped in their vehicle, which was perched precariously on the edge of the ravine with the left front tire in the air and left rear wheel on the forest road, the car was hanging sideways – any movement might have sent it over.

“We quickly realized there was no (easy) way to get them out safely,” Brian said.

The two women could not exit the car, or it may well have tumbled down the ravine. The driver was holding her foot on the brake and had set the emergency brake. They were praying for someone to come help them, holding down the brakes for dear life. Brian said if she had not kept her foot on the brake, they would have surely rolled over and down the ravine.

“They were in shock, shaking, the driver as white as a ghost,” Brian said. “We leapt into action with no time to spare to try and save them. I grabbed my tow strap from under my seat. Rob began hooking it on her vehicle as I was positioning my truck. I had to get the angle right to pull her and get her left front tire on the ground first before I could try to tow them out. Rob expertly hitched up the tow strap to both vehicles.

“Rob was the on-scene commander, instructing them and me in unison so we could have a chance pulling them back up on the forest road,” Brian said.

Rob kept up with instructions for the women on how to proceed as Brian took the slack out of the tow strap.

“Once the tow rope was taut, he instructed her to keep holding her foot on the brake, release the emergency brake then put the car in neutral as I pulled,” Brian said. “My back tires started spinning, losing ground.”

Brian put his truck into four-wheel drive low for maximum torque and pulling ability.

Slowly the left front wheel came down. Brian rolled forward to tighten the tow strap and hold her vehicle firmly in place. At the same time Rob instructed the woman to keep her foot on the brake.

“Rob had given me the maximum length of my 20-foot tow strap connected to both vehicles to help keep me from being pulled down the ravine with them,” Brian said.

Rob then told the women to hold the brake down and put it in drive as Brian started to pull this time.

The next step was for her to apply steady pressure on the gas and take her foot off the brake as Brian pulled.

“My Toyota Tacoma strained, even harder, my tires digging in, clawing the ground, and her vehicle slowly came up little by little as I pressed the gas pedal more,” Brian said. “Now was the point of no return – feeling more and more of the weight of her car.”

Brian said he thought, “Either I’m pulling her out or we’re both going down.”

Slowly, Brian’s Tacoma pulled her car up inch by inch. Once Brian had pulled her entire vehicle fully onto the forest road, Rob then told them to put their vehicle in park. They were safe. Brian said he felt exhilaration and joy.

“I got out and raised my hands to the heavens and thanked God,” Brian said.

He said both women just buried their faces into their hands sobbing.

After unhitching the tow strap, they checked the woman’s vehicle and surprisingly it was undamaged.

“They were overcome with so much emotion at that point,” Brian said. “They held their hands to their faces sobbing and holding each other. The driver extended her hands out the window and shook ours, saying, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’”

The women never got out of their vehicle, still too frozen in fear to move.

“We assured them they were safe now,” he said. “We exchanged phone numbers, and I gave them my Brown Brothers Custom Calls business card. The driver told us if we come back to Idaho next spring, ‘Call us and we’ll get you on private property in Idaho to turkey hunt.’ They also said they’d have us over for a picnic with their families at their place.” 

Brian said it was a deal, and the brothers drove away.

“They had gone through quite an ordeal together,” Brian said. “God had answered their prayers. He had sent us, unbeknownst to us, up that mountain and had me drive another 100 yards instead of turning around, to find them.”

As one would expect of military trained personnel, Brian said he always carries a tow strap, tire chains, flashlight, first aid kit, survival gear, rope, surgical tubing, water, blankets, chain saw, satellite phone, towels, blankets and more in his truck while hunting and camping.

“When you are out turkey hunting or doing any kind of hunting, camping, fishing, etc., or just enjoying the outdoors, you may find yourself being the only source of help at that moment,” Brian said. “You become the ‘first responder’ and most likely the only one who can help save a life, perform a rescue, apply first aid and medical care, transport, etc.” 

Two strangers in Idaho are surely grateful the twin turkey hunting brothers stumbled upon them in their time of need.