South Dakota rancher rescued after battling blizzard for more than a day

Ryan Spartz 1280x720.jpg

Photo via Brooklyn Shandell Gran Facebook page

Producers across the Midwest have been pummeled with snow and extreme wintry conditions for more than a week now. The storm is taking a toll on both cattle and producers.

It has left many stranded, whether at home or on highways. For one South Dakota rancher, he was found stuck in a pasture.

Rodney Paulson is an elderly rancher who got stuck after going out to feed his cattle. Thankfully, his neighbor spotted him, but the conditions were too extreme for his equipment to manage. This meant Paulson had to stay in his tractor overnight, but thankfully he had fuel and heat.

The neighbor, Gus Gran, worked endlessly to find someone with big enough equipment to get to Paulson. Then comes in trucker, Ryan Spartz. He was driving a tracked tractor during the storm hoping to get across South Dakota.

Using Spartz’ tractor, they were able to reach Paulson by blowing through snow drifts. They called it “a cakewalk.”

After more than 27 hours stranded in the field, Paulson was rescued.

Story via Carter Schmidt with Keloland

Related Stories
Event focuses on helping communities grow through local business
Students say the program builds confidence, teamwork and a sense of purpose.
The fourth-generation owner of Georgia’s Arena Acres cultivated a love for floral arts in FFA on a family farm passed down through generations.
SAE programs help FFA students build skills beyond the classroom.
Dixondale Farms produces around 900 million onion transplants each year, shipping them directly to customers and distributors across the country.
Kaleigh Backstrom says her early involvement in 4-H helped set her on that path and sparked her interest in veterinary medicine.

Rural Lifestyle & Entertainment Shows
Presented by Lehman’s & Farm Show Magazine, join us for the best in Cajun Cookin’ with the master cook, Mr. Justin Wilson, as he tells funny Cajun stories and demonstrates the Cajun way of cooking up some WILD GAME, CHICKEN, BEEF, SEAFOOD & PORK. I Garontee!
Tom McComas became involved with toy trains by accident and with reluctance. But his passion led to the creation of “I Love Toy Trains,” which quickly became TM’s best-selling title and one of the bestselling children’s video series in the U.S.
In the harsh Australian Outback, water drillers Danyelle and Anthony Haigh give up their nomadic life of searching for water for cattle ranches, to offer their two sons, Heath and Theo, a more settled life. They swap water drilling for something they’ve never done before – farming.
Madison Brown grew up on the road and now invites viewers to follow along with her as she continues to indulge her love of exploring new places, including behind-the-scenes at big events and tourist attractions, and celebrity interviews with the likes of country star Toby Keith, former NBA player Karl Malone, former MLB pitcher Greg Maddux, and “Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight (Brown’s uncle).
The internationally-known “King of Polka,” 18-time Grammy award winner for “Best Polka Album,” and bandleader of arguably the most popular polka band in America—Jimmy Sturr—is taking to the stage for another slate of shows made for his fans and polka lovers across the country.