February 20, 2026 / 9:33 PM PST / CBS LA
It's been snowing all week in Big Bear, and 4 feet of fresh snow proved to be overwhelming for an experienced outdoorsman camping in an SUV with his dog.
San Bernardino County Fire Captain Anthony Muscarello recorded as his team in Snowcat 96, out of Fawnskin, came to the rescue.
He said the camper was well prepared with proper winter gear, extra food and fuel.
"He just got caught off guard and put in a tight spot with all that snowfall," Muscarello said. "He tried for hours, multiple times, to dig himself out. Every time he made it 10-15 feet, he'd get stuck again. That's when he reached out for help."
Muscarello said the camper first posted about his predicament in some off-roading Facebook groups. When his peers couldn't get through the snow to help, they called 911.
"When we first saw him, he was definitely relieved that we had found him," Muscarello said. "I was able to text him and get his exact GPS."
San Bernardino County has the largest fleet of rescue snowcats in the country because of it's heavily populated mountain communities. They notably used the vehicles to rescue people during the historic [2023 blizzard.](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/defining-a-blizzard-southern-california-gets-its-first-blizzard-warning-in-decades/)
"Thousands of people up there, even more come for tourism," Muscarello said. "Those are usually the ones who get most caught off guard in severe snowstorms."
CBS LA briefly texted with the rescued camper. He made some jokes about how desperate the situation became and said that the firefighters got to him quickly.
He assured that his dog named Mud was safe and sound by his side.
"The dog was in good spirits," Muscarello said. "He was very friendly, well behaved, and had afun time running down the mountain in the snowcat."
The fire department urged visitors to check forecasts and to share their location and a timeline for when they will be there with their loved ones. They also advised campers to pack extra supplies.
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